Fire Emblem Awakening: Free
by CuteMochi
Summary: Chrom and the rest of the Shepherds wake up from the game they've been trapped in for four years; all except for Robin, whose whereabouts are unknown. Who is responsible? Why hasn't she woken up? Will she ever wake up at all? (A twist on Awakening's storyline, inspired by SAO) (Chrom/Robin among other mentioned ships) Currently on Part 2!
1. Part 1- Chapter 1

"Robin! This is our chance! I'm going to finish it!" Chrom said, leveling Falchion at the Grima.

Robin looked over at her children, who fought the Grimleal heatedly, Lucina swinging Falchion and Morgan flipping the pages of a tome.

She closed her eyes, knowing what she had to do.

She stepped in front of Chrom, facing Grima in the eye.

"Robin?! Wait, what-" Chrom protested.

"... WHAT... WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" the fell dragon heaved raspily.

"For once, I'm glad you and I are the same," she said, her voice surprisingly calm. "Now I can give my life to protect those who I care for..."

"...YOU WOULD...NOT DARE!" Grima's eyes flashed with anger and frustration.

"I would and I will. The evils you would visit on this world are unthinkable..." She felt a sense of satisfaction, then guilt. "In some way, I—we share the blame. It's only right we meet our end together!"

"... NOOOOO!" He cried out, before being struck by Robin's Thoron and began to dissolve away into black matter.

"Robin! No!" He exclaimed, running towards her as she began to fade away as well.

"Thank you, Chrom. For...everything..." She smiled. "Tell the others...my last thoughts were of them... May we meet again, in a better life..."

"Robin! No! Ah gods, NO!" He called out.

"I lost already lost Emm... Not you too..." He thought as he raced to reach her.

But he was too late.

She placed her hand out to touch his face, but it faded away as soon as it came in contact with his skin, and she was gone.

He tried in vain to grab the air where she once was, and collapsed on the ground.

"No..." He murmured, defeatedly.

Suddenly a bright light shone from the dark sky, blinding Chrom and everyone else until the whole world was white.

Chrom awoke laying down somewhere, a bright light on the ceiling.

"Where am I?" He thought.

He felt something hard around his head, and put his hand up to his temple to find something resembling a helmet.

Helmet.

Everything rushed back in at once, and he realized something.

He'd been in a virtual world for several years, and his whole life there were false memories.

He wasn't really a prince. But he couldn't care less about that. He wanted to know where Robin was, if she was still alive, or even real at all.

He yanked off the helmet to see that his hair had grown down to his shoulders before he heard a familiar voice ring out.

"Chrom!"

He sat up, with some difficulty, to see Lissa walking with what looked like a cane, towards his bed.

"L-Lissa," he croaked out, his voice crackly from underuse.

She smiled and offered him a water bottle.

He chugged the whole bottle down placed it down on the bedside.

"Thanks," he said.

Lissa nodded, sitting down on a chair next to the bed.

"... You remember, too, don't you?" She asked quietly, her voice slightly scratchy as well.

He nodded, sitting up straighter so that his back was pressed against the wall.

"I don't even know when we entered the game," he told her. "It all felt so real."

The straw-haired girl looked down.

"None of us knew that our memories would be altered when we entered the game. None of us could remember the real world."

Her brother listened with rapt attention, wanting to know as much as possible.

"Even though all that was fake, if you died in the game, you died in real life," she said sadly. "That's why all those people were disappearing unexpectedly. Apparently their bodies in the real world weren't being properly taken care of."

She sighed.

"Luckily for us, Mom and Dad got us into a good hospital and paid for it b-before they-" she began to sob. "D-died.

Chrom's sapphire eyes widened.

"Wait, what?" He asked.

His sister shook her head.

"I don't know the details. I heard everything from Frederick," she said.

"That's right," Chrom recalled. "He entered the game with us."

"... And exited it with you, as well."

Frederick stood by the door frame, looking the same as he did in the game, only leaning on a cane similar to Lissa's. He realized that they all looked the same as they had inside FE:A, but only because Chrom and Lissa's parents had ordered special treatment for all of them.

"Frederick!" Lissa beamed. "That was quick."

He took a seat next to her and squeezed her small hand in his. It was strange, how even though Frederick was their adopted brother, they had gotten married in the game.

"I found everything I- well, we, need to know," he held up a manila folder.

"It's good to see you, friend," Chrom said. "And what's that?"

"A pleasure to see you too, milord," he replied.

Chrom sighed.

"Just call me Chrom, please," he told him. "I'm not a prince in this world, remember?"

"Just the same," the great knight replied. "And about this folder, it contains all of our hospital information."

"Go on," the blue-haired man said.

Frederick flipped the folder open and read the information out.

"It says we, Lady Emmeryn included, were admitted here in September of 2020," he explained. "And the date today is June 5, 2024. That means that we've been in the game for a little under four years."

Chrom pondered this, and something clicked.

"In the game, we met Robin three years ago. That must've been when we entered the game," he said. "If Robin couldn't remember anything, then maybe that was the real reason she had no memories."

Lissa nodded.

"It makes sense," she commented.

"That means everything that happened before that were just false memories," he sighed.

Chrom's eyes widened in surprise, realizing something.

"Wait," he said with a tone of urgency. "What about our children?"

That sent a wave of shock throughout them.

"... Were they fake, too?" Frederick asked.

Lissa pounded her fist on the chair.

"No way!" She yelled. "No way they're fake! Do you really think anyone could make AI's so realistic? Owain's our son, Frederick!"

He shook his head.

"I'm sorry, dear," he said. "I believe you. However, I can't find an explanation as to how they got into the game, if they have real bodies."

Lissa paused at that.

"Neither can I," she admitted. "But I'm sure they're real! Right, Chrom?"

Chrom nodded, recalling how Lucina and Morgan had interacted in the world, just like any other person. And most importantly, how they both had personality traits of himself and Robin, with Robin's intelligence and his stubbornness.

Just thinking of her made Chrom's heart feel empty. No doubt she was out there, somewhere.

"Frederick," He said, grabbing the attention of the couple. "I'd appreciate it if you'd help me find Robin and all the other Shepherds. It'd be nice to see them all again."

The former knight could hear the sadness in his friend's voice, and couldn't help but feel guilty to be the bringer of bad news.

"Milord- I mean, Chrom, I'm afraid I have some unfortunate news regarding that."

Chrom's stomach twisted at that.

"Go on," he said weakly.

"... It seems that everyone still alive who were involved in the FE:A incident have woken up... All except one."

The blue-haired man knew from the second he heard those words that it was Robin. Gosh, why did it have to be her? Why her of all people?

He made something that sounded like a choking noise when he tried to speak.

"... No," he said quietly.

A long silence followed, Lissa biting back sobs.

"... Is she dead?" He asked, breaking the pause.

"No," Frederick replied, shaking his head. "She's still hooked up to the NerveGear. However, she hasn't woken up. It's unknown where her consciousness within the virtual network is."

At that moment, Chrom shoved the covers off of him and hung his feet off the bed, his body feeling as stiff as plastic.

"Whoa, easy, Chrom!" Lissa exclaimed. "You need to practice walking with a cane!"

Despite her protests, Chrom placed his feet on the cold ground, then tried to stand up. He failed awfully and his knees buckled, falling to the ground with a painful thud.

"Urgh!" Lissa yelled. "You are so stupid! How are we supposed to help you up? Frederick and I can barely walk on our own!"

Chrom pushed himself up onto his elbows, his arms shaking.

"I-I need to find her," Chrom said, his bones feeling like weights. ".. R-Robin..."

Frederick fetched a cane from the other room and helped Chrom to walk on it, Lissa fussing over how he looked like an old man.

After he had gotten the hang of it, a nurse came into the room and assisted them with being discharged from the hospital and rehab.

Chrom sat in the waiting room, his head hanging down, thinking of Robin.

"Don't worry," Lissa said with a reassuring smile after seeing him. "We'll find her, and we'll bring her back."


	2. Part 1- Chapter 2

Review responses:

NotSoGreatGamerGirl: Thank you! I loved both as well and the idea just popped into my head that I should make a fic, lol. Once again, thank you for your review and I hope you enjoy!

* * *

Chrom sat in his room in Ylisse's palace, reading a book. Falchion hung at his side like always, the velvety sheath touching the carpet rug. He looked up to see Robin humming an old song, her voice tranquil and soft, while holding baby Lucina in her arms and cradling her. He smiled at the sight, and called out to her.

"Robin," he said.

No response.

"Robin?" He asked.

Nothing.

"Robin!" He said louder.

Finally Robin looked up at him, their eyes locking before she began to scream.

"Chrom! Chrom, help me!" She wailed as her body dissolved into darkness, Lucina with her.

"Robin, no!"

Chrom bolted up and ran across the room, only for the floor to dissolve away as well, causing him to fall into darkness screaming.

He awoke in a panicked daze, sweating heavily.

"Damn it!" He exclaimed, pounding his fist on the wall next to his bed.

Another stupid nightmare. They always tormented him, how he could never reach her in time. Sometimes she'd cry out for him, begging him to save her, other times she'd say nothing and give him a look that said, "You let me down." He didn't know which was more cruel.

The worst part was that every single time she slipped away the same way; how she had faded into black matter within the game.

He blamed himself for it. He should've just went ahead and killed Grima with Falchion. But he realized, then, that the only person who could've really beat the game was Robin. If he had slain Grima instead, they would have been trapped within the game for the rest of their lives. That wouldn't be so bad, Chrom figured. At least Robin would be there. Then again, although they managed to stay in good condition being asleep in the hospital for nearly four years, there's no way they could've been sustained for their whole lifetime.

Then he wanted to blame Robin. He wanted to blame her for being so damn noble and sacrificing herself. He wanted her to be selfish for once. But he couldn't. He could never blame her. It was the right thing to do.

He curled up into a ball under his covers, remembering the conversation they had on the beach at the Outrealms, one of the happiest and most memorable moments of the time he had spent within FE:A.

Robin faced the ocean, the wind blowing at her long ponytails.

"I could never forget a single thing about you," she smiled. "Even if death were to tear us apart, even if I lost my memories again-" she said, looking out at the sea.

The very thought of those words made him scared and sick.

"Robin... Why would you even say such a thing?" He asked in disbelief.

She turned to face him, her clear brown eyes sparkling in the sunlight.

"What? I'm just speaking hypothetically. Why are you making that face?"

"Robin..."

"Huh? What are you-?" She asked in confusion.

He held her close and planted a small kiss on her lips, wrapping his arms around her before Robin let go.

"C-Chrom! We shouldn't..." Her voice trailed off, her face flushed.

"Did you not enjoy that?" He asked bashfully.

"N-No, it was wonderful!" She responded. "But we're in the middle of a battle here!"

He and Robin were alike in many ways, but Robin did things based on logic and intuition. Chrom, on the other hand, did things impulsively.

"I know," he replied. "But the way you were talking... I couldn't help it."

"I understand, Chrom, but you're the commander of this army!" She said more angrily than she meant to. "Look, I'm going back to my position now. YOU stay here and fight, okay?"

She turned around and started to run across the shore back to her position.

"Robin, wait!" He called out before sighing deeply. "She's gone. I'll have to apologize for that later."

That night, all the Shepherds were gathered around a large campfire that Frederick made, huddling around it wrapped in blankets and roasting marshmallows.

Robin sat in front of the fire, shivering before Chrom brought a blanket and wrapped it around them both.

"Thanks," she said, resting her head on his shoulder. Her hair was still wet from swimming and smelled like saltwater. "... But I still think what you did back there was irresponsible."

He sighed.

"I know," he replied. "I'm sorry."

She looked up at him and smiled.

"You're forgiven," she said. "Just promise me you won't do it again."

He adjusted the blanket around them, pulling her closer.

"I promise."

After a few seconds Robin began to laugh.

The prince raised an eyebrow. "What's so funny?"

She began to laugh even more.

"I just remembered that swimsuit Anna had you try on," she giggled.

Chrom's face turned so red he resembled a cherry tomato.

"Y-You saw that?" He asked frantically.

She nodded, trying to stifle her laughter. After she managed to do so, she spoke.

"I was looking for a restroom," she explained, a grin still present on her face. "I went into the hut and found something quite different."

The prince buried his face into the blanket.

"Gods, this is so embarrassing," he said quietly.

Robin gave a small laugh once more before kissing him on the cheek.

"If you ask me, you looked quite dashing," she informed him. "I'm lucky to have such a handsome and kind husband."

"Heh. I should be saying the same of my smart and beautiful wife," he replied. "I'm a lucky man to have you."

And they stayed there together into the night, the fire warming them, and it felt as though the world was perfect.

But in truth, it was far from it.

* * *

Chrom walked into the room in anticipation, a vase of flowers in his hand, while Lissa and Frederick waiting outside the door.

He walked past the curtain, and there she was. In the flesh, laid Robin, her face placid, long light-colored hair flowing onto the sheets. He gently placed the flowers down on the bedside table, then sat himself next to the bed.

He gently held her pale hand, wishing she would curl her fingers around his like she had done so many times before.

He noticed how the treatment she was receiving was just as good as the one he had gotten while he was asleep. Frederick had found Robin's location, much to his relief and happiness, which turned out to be quite close to where he lived, only about a fifteen minute car drive.

He continued to hold Robin's hand, which felt much more real and tangible than it had in FE:A, as he realized all things were when he had gotten used to being in the real world again.

"Where are you?" He murmured so softly that he could barely hear himself.

He didn't notice two people walk into the room before one of them tapped on his shoulder.

The blue-haired man turned around to see the familiar faces of Sumia and Cordelia smiling at him.

"Sumia, Cordelia," he said.

"It's so good to see you, Captain!" Sumia beamed, then hugged him in friendly manner.

He tried to hug her back but felt that his ribs were being crushed.

"Ow! S-Sumia! You're s-squeezing the life out of me!"

Sumia apologized and released him, causing Cordelia to laugh lightly.

"Heh, some things never change," she said, nodding at the former prince. "Chrom."

"Cordelia," he replied with a smile.

He observed the two, Cordelia wearing a thick white sweater over jeans, her red hair as long as it was in the game. Sumia wore a lavender coat over a black skirt and thigh length socks, her brown hair curled in the front and tied in the back at the top, but without the wing clips.

"It's good to see you," the red-haired girl told him before looking down at Robin. "Well, both of you."

Sumia looked down at Robin curiously.

"I wonder why she hasn't woken up," she commented.

Chrom shook his head.

"I don't know why or how. But she has to be out there somewhere," he said quietly. "Speaking of which, how did you two find each other?"

"Oh, we've been friends since we were little kids," Sumia laughed amusedly. "Kind of like in the game."

Cordelia nodded in agreement.

"Exactly like in the game, actually. It's scary how they altered our memories so precisely that it really seemed like we lived in that world."

He agreed. Every memory he had before he met Robin felt so real. In truth, they were just his memories of the real world tailored to fit the game. He was glad, though, that his memories of Robin were real. That she was a real person.

He was caught up thinking about his in-game spouse before he thought to ask about theirs.

"Did you find Lon'qu and Gaius yet?" He asked.

They both shook their heads.

"No," Sumia said sadly. "But I miss him. And Cynthia, too."

A shock wave was sent up at Chrom's spine.

"What happened to them? The children?" He asked. "Weren't the servers deleted after we beat the game?"

"No," Cordelia replied. "That's what the press said, but they really weren't. The government finally got ahold of where the servers were being hosted and managed to take possession of them. They were about to delete them when they realized a problem; the children. If they deleted the servers, their consciousnesses would be deleted as well, since they don't have a body to transfer to."

Chrom listened attentively.

"So what are they going to do?"

The two moved to the other side of the bed and sat down on the chairs before Sumia spoke.

"They said that they'll de-virtualize them in exchange for more information on our in-game lives," she said. "While we were asleep, they created a machine in which they intended to try and de-virtualize an AI, basically creating a body for them and having them live as a real person. However, they lacked proper genetics and a real consciousness and the invention was branded a failure. They were recently about to abort the project before they discovered they could use them to virtualize the children in FE:A."

Chrom's eyes widened.

"When can we get them de-virtualized?" Chrom asked.

"We came here to tell you so that you, Lissa, and Frederick could get your kids," Cordelia informed him. "Sumia and I are planning on going tomorrow."

He was excited. He was so scared that Lucina, the baby and the grown-up one, and Morgan were lost forever. It was unimaginable that they could come to the real world.

"We'll go tomorrow, too," he said decisively. "I know that's what Robin would want."

Cordelia nodded, but then frowned slightly.

"Chrom? There's a catch," she told him.

"What is it?" He asked, his hopes falling.

"The success rate of the transfer is 70%. Not to be pessimistic, but there's a 30% chance that they might not be able to be de-virtualized. It's a risk I'm willing to take for Severa. I just wanted you to know ahead of time," she informed him.

"Sorry to be the bringer of bad news," she added.

Chrom shook his head.

"I don't care what the risk is. If there's a chance at all I can get my children back, I'll take it."

"That's what I figured you say," Lissa said from the door, revealing she was eavesdropping the whole time. "Frederick and I want the same thing."

He nodded.

"Then we'll go tomorrow," he concluded.

After giving some government lackey all the information he knew about the game and verifying that he was indeed the Lucina's and Morgan's father, they told him to come in another three days when they would finish the de-virtualizing process.

He came home that night and had dinner with Lissa and Frederick in their old house, which he remembered from before he had played FE:A. They talked in excitement about getting their children back.

"I wonder how they'll all react when they come to the real world," Lissa said, taking a sip of her orange juice. "I can't wait to see Owain again."

"Me too," Frederick agreed. "Although I wonder how he'll get by living with us."

Chrom spoke up.

"The guy working for the government said that they'll let them live with us legally," he stabbed his potato chunk with his fork. "They'll be documented as our children by law."

"Hm, that's awfully kind of them," Lissa commented. "Maybe they feel bad for us because we were trapped within a virtual game for almost four years."

"... Now that I think about it, it was less of a game and more of a virtual world," Frederick pondered out loud. "But I still can't wrap my mind around how they time traveled."

Chrom shrugged.

"Maybe they can shed some light on it when they get back," he sighed.

He had become somewhat dull and sullen ever since coming back to the real world, thoughts of Robin flooding his head. Where was she? What was she doing? Was she thinking of him? Did she even remember him? He asked himself these questions, each one weighing him down with all of the possibilities.

Lissa frowned at him.

"Stop doing that, Chrom!" She said loudly, bordering yelling. "Would Robin want you to be all sad and depressed over her? To give up? Do you think she saved all of us so we could sit down and feel bad for ourselves?"

Her tone of voice made him angry and guilty at the same time.

He pounded his fist on the table, causing the plates and glasses to bounce up.

"You think I don't know that? I know her better than anyone! That's why... That's why I need her! I want to meet her for real! I want us to get married for real!" His voice began to crack. "I'm not giving up! I just miss her! Is that so wrong?"

"Chrom-" Lissa began to say.

He stood up, leaving his food unfinished, and went straight bed, burying his face into his pillow. He didn't want to think. He didn't want to do anything. He just wanted to forget everything and fall asleep. The only thing that reassured him was that tomorrow he'd hopefully see Lucina and Morgan again. He missed them terribly. The way Morgan had almost crushed Robin while playing a game of tome stackers, the way Lucina had the same smile as her mother. They had the best attributes of Robin. And he wanted to see the baby Lucina, too. He remembered how unbelievably moody and upset Robin could be while she was pregnant, and how happy she was when she finally got to hold her baby. It was the first time he had ever seen her cry, but these were tears of joy.

These thoughts comforted him as he drifted off to sleep, dreaming of his family.

* * *

Chrom walked into the research center, to the front desk along with Lissa and Frederick.

The lady at the desk had cherry pink hair tied into a tight bun. She looked up from her computer and smiled.

"You're here for the de-virtualization chamber, correct?" She asked, her voice coated in sugar.

He nodded.

"Yes."

She stood up.

"Just this way," she gestured for them to follow her down the hall and through several corridors before they were lead to what seemed like a deserted corner of building. She had them follow her past several locked doors and rooms before she used her key card to open an elevator shaft that led them at least ten stories down before she the door opened.

"Now go straight and take a right," she instructed them. "You'll find the chamber there."

They thanked her and did exactly as she instructed, seeing large white doors that automatically opened as they walked in.

Chrom scanned the large room, and saw the large chamber emitting energy that heated the air around it.

"Where are they?" He thought before hearing the sounds of what sounded like crying.

He followed the noise to see Sumia embracing her orange-haired daughter in tears.

"Mother! Oh, Mother, I love you!" Cynthia wailed.

His stomach fell in relief and happiness when he saw Lucina and Morgan sitting in wheelchairs, dressed in white bathrobes. Lucina held a small baby wrapped in a white towel, her infant self.

Their eyes lit up when they saw him, their eyes tearing up.

"Father!" They called out, though they were unable to walk, as they weren't used to their bodies yet.

Baby Lucina began to cry as Chrom raced toward them and hugged them both separately and kissed their cheeks, his eyes filling with tears.

"... I missed you two so much," he said, trying to dry his eyes.

"I missed you too, Father," Lucina replied with a smile, holding out the baby to him.

He took the baby in his arms, who immediately ceased crying and looked up at her Father with her sapphire blue eyes. He noticed that she still had the Brand in her left eye, and upon closer inspection, so did the older Lucina . He kissed her pudgy cheek, to which she laughed and began to sleep.

"We're in the real world?" Morgan asked, clearly disoriented.

"Yes, son," Chrom told him.

They both looked around the room.

"... Where's Mother?" Morgan asked in concern.

A pang of guilt stabbed Chrom's heart.

"... She hasn't woken up yet," he said quietly.

A few seconds of shock passed before Lucina spoke up."... No, that can't be right," she muttered. "That doesn't make sense. That didn't happen in the future. She was supposed to wake up with the rest of you."

* * *

Author's Note: Thank you for reading! I made this chapter wayy longer than I intended to, haha, but I hope you enjoyed it all the same. Reviews would be greatly appreciated, and feel free to follow and or favorite if you liked it. Stay tuned for the next chapter!


	3. Part 1- Chapter 3

"... What?" Chrom asked. "What do you mean?"

Lucina shook her head.

"Perhaps I should explain everything when we go home," she said. "I'm not sure now is the best time."

"Yeah," Morgan agreed. "But can we eat first? I'm really hungry."

His sister sighed.

"You're always thinking with your stomach, aren't you?" She laughed. "But in truth, I'm pretty hungry myself."

Chrom managed a smile.

"Of course. We'll eat as soon as we get home. It's not too far away," he said. "Do you want to see your friends first?"

They both nodded.

Chrom and one of the nurses helped to wheel the two around the room, and passed by Severa and Cordelia.

"Severa! Oh, my little girl," she said, embracing her daughter.

"Ugh, I'm not a child!" Severa complained.

"No, but you're my child," her mother replied.

"Why'd you even bring me here? I'm not your real daughter," the girl frowned, combing out her waist-length black hair with her fingers.

"Maybe not, but I couldn't just let them delete you along with the FE:A servers," Cordelia responded.

"Even if!" Severa continued to say. "I have no place in this world! Y-You should have just l-left me... Like you did b-before... A-At least then it wouldn't have h-hurt so much..."

"... My poor baby," her mother said. "I'm so sorry I abandoned you like that. You must have been so scared."

Severa made a "pfft" noise.

"Scared? I wasn't s-scared! I-It's not like I was w-waiting all that t-time for you to come b-back..." Her lower lip began to tremble before she broke out in tears. "Oh, Mom! I missed you so much! Please don't ever leave me again!"

Cordelia held her daughter close, stroking her back softly.

"It's alright, dear. Mother's here now. I won't leave you like I did again."

The two were wheeled across the room and saw Cynthia headed towards them, her wheelchair pushed by Sumia.

"Lucy! Morgan!" She called out happily. "We're in the real world! Isn't that great?"

Lucina smiled.

"It is," she agreed. "It feels so strange, though. Everything seems more... Vibrant."

Chrom nodded.

"In the real world, your senses work better than they do when you're online," he explained.

"Oh, so that's why I feel kinda weird," Morgan chuckled.

Suddenly Cynthia gasped, craning her neck around.

"W-Where's Owain?" She asked frantically. The two had been dating in the game, dubbed the Justice Cabal Couple by the other children.

A moment of silence passed.

"... Did he make it out?" Sumia asked, speaking the question they were all wondering.

Suddenly they heard Lissa wailing and Frederick comforting her. Their stomachs dropped at the sound.

"Oh, Owain, I missed you so much!" Lissa cried out, hugging her son, who was invisible as Frederick was blocking him from view.

They all breathed out a sigh of relief.

"Oh, thank goodness," Lucina breathed. "I was worried there for a second."

They all nodded in agreement.

"Mother, can I go see Owain?" Cynthia asked eagerly.

"Of course, dear," Sumia replied.

Chrom and the nurse followed them to where Owain's chamber was.

"Fear not, Mother, for your son is here now!" Owain reassured Lissa, who wiped away her tears.

"Owain!" The orange-haired pegasus knight called out.

Her Justice Cabal companion turned his head her way, his eyes lighting up.

"Cynthia!" He said in excitement.

Frederick pushed his wheelchair in front of Cynthia's so that they could reach over and hug.

"Huh," a snarky voice said from behind them.

It belonged to none other than Severa, who was being wheeled toward them by her mother.

"Hee hee! I think you're just jelly 'cause you miss Gerome," Cynthia teased, causing the mercenary's face to redden.

"What? Me, Jelly?! As if!" She exclaimed.

"Alright, that's enough," Sumia laughed. "Let's sign out now so we can get you all home. You'll see each other at Chrom's house tomorrow."

Cynthia beamed.

"Ooh! Mother, I can't wait to see your house! Is it big? What kind of food do you have? Do you have any pets? Do we have to share a room? Not that I would mind, but I was just wondering!"

"Uhh..." Sumia pondered her questions. "Not really, normal I guess, a dog, and yes."

Her eyes lit up.

"Oh, I'm so excited!"

Severa sighed at her friends' silly antics.

"Say, Lucina, your family's pretty wealthy, right?" She asked with a sly smile.

"Um..." The princess said uncertainly.

"Heehee, mind if I we hang out at your place for a while tomorrow?"

"Ooh! Ooh! Me, too!" Cynthia piped up.

"If that's alright with my father," she replied to both of them.

She turned to Chrom.

"Father, can Severa and Cynthia come over tomorrow?" She asked, somewhat startling him.

"I feel too young for this," Chrom sighed, causing Lissa, Sumia, Cordelia, and Frederick to laugh. "But yes, of course they can. Besides, you have a lot of filling in to do."

Lucina nodded with a smile.

"Of course. Thank you, Father."

Chrom drove his car, Lucina in the front and Morgan in the back. Lucina looked out the window, observing the tall buildings and concrete sidewalks. She seemed to even observe her own body, staring at her hand for a full minute.

"... M-Mother..." Morgan mumbled, sprawled out on the seats at the back.

Chrom and Lucina both looked back at him, seeing him fast asleep.

"... I miss Mother," Lucina said quietly.

"I do, too," Chrom replied sadly.

A moment of sorrowful silence followed before Lucina spoke.

"... I tried to help when you when we traveled back in time," she told him, disappointment in her voice. "I just ended up getting trapped in the game like everyone else."

"How did you travel back in time, exactly? In the game, Naga sent you, but I'm not so sure that's the real reason," Chrom asked.

"Actually, NAGA did send us. But not the Naga of the game. In the future, NAGA was an extremely intelligent AI. She helped to balance the virtual world and keep everything in check. However, GRIMA, an AI created by Grima Co., somehow managed to hack into part of NAGA's network and take control of all cybernetwork, including the internet, military bases and compounds, even top secret projects. He used these to wreak havoc on the world, and trapped nearly the whole population in virtual reality," she explained, her face grim.

Chrom's eyes widened in shock.

"... Then what happened? To all of us? And the world?"

Lucina shook her head, recalling the painful memories that felt fresh in her mind.

"You... Everyone... You were all online when it happened. In our future, we were never de-virtualized. We waited for you, for so long. Then, they finally let you come back. After that, GRIMA took control of the FE:A server and tried to kill us. He wasn't strong enough to delete the whole server, so he deleted all of your consciousnesses from the network. You, all of you, bought us enough time for NAGA to launch a time travel program to send us back in time to avert the tragedy that followed."

Chrom let it all sink in.

"What does Robin- I mean, your mother have to do with this? You said that she woke up in your future."

"She did. She..." Lucina bit back a sob. "She was the first to die. After she woke up, she started working at the hospital. She helped to hook up patients to the Medicuboid and taught them how to play online games. One day, the day GRIMA gained control of the network, she was on the job and he killed everyone in the game she was playing, including her and the patient... You were devastated."

That took him aback. He felt like someone had turned him upside down and slapped him.

"... That doesn't make any sense," he said. "Grima Co. was shut down now, and Robin's still asleep. In your future, it took us years longer to defeat GRIMA, giving them more time to work on the AI. But we took only four years here. If GRIMA was really ready to strike, he would've done it as soon as possible. And Robin... Gah, this doesn't make any sense."

Lucina looked down.

"Um, Father? Do you think we could see Mother before we ate?" She asked.

"... Yes, of course. But we should pick up some flowers first."

After they visited the florist and woke Morgan up, they went to Robin's hospital room to see someone already there, a girl about Chrom's age with long black hair and dark eyes.

She turned towards them with a smile.

"Hi!" She greeted them. "Are you visiting my twin sister?"

He was surprised for a moment how similar they looked. She could've been Robin if the tactician dyed her hair, wore black contacts, and wore her hair down.

"Um, yes," he replied.

"Oh, how nice of you! How do you know her? I don't think we've met," she asked.

"She's a friend of mine," Chrom explained.

"Hmm... You met her in the game, correct?" She questioned him.

He nodded.

"Yes, that's right."

"Ah, I see," she said.

She then peeked back behind him to see Lucina and Morgan.

"Who are these two?" She asked curiously.

Lucina spoke up quickly.

"We're his younger siblings," she explained.

The girl observed them and smiled again.

"Haha, I should've known. Close family resemblance!" She turned to face Chrom. "I don't think I properly introduced myself. My name's Jay."

She held out her gloved hand to Chrom, who shook it.

"Chrom," he said in reply.

Jay picked up her purse from the bedside table and buttoned up her coat.

"Well, Chrom, I'll be out of your hair now. I was just making sure my sister's hospital bills were paid," she pulled a hat over her sleek, straight hair. "Pleasure meeting you."

"The pleasure's mine," he responded politely.

She waved goodbye to the three before leaving.

After she left, Morgan spoke.

"Soo she's my aunt?" He asked. "That makes her your sister-in-law, Father!"

He gulped. That was the only thing he was thinking about during their conversation.

"Uh, yes, I suppose so," he replied weakly. "That aside, you should see your Mother now."

The two complied and sat at the bedside, observing their sleeping mother.

Chrom allowed them a few minutes before visiting hours were over and decided it was time for them to go.

Before they left, they kissed her cheeks and said goodbye, wishing she was there with them.

* * *

Author's Note: Thank you for reading! I'm thinking that my chapters will normally be about this length, maybe longer, unless I want to do a super long one on the plane, haha. I'm on vacation at the moment, but the day after Christmas I'm going to another city. I'll probably update tomorrow, but if I don't, then Merry (early) Christmas! You know, now that I think about it I'll probably stay up all night writing another chapter but I just want to make sure in case I get busy tomorrow. Also my birthday is today where I live so I was so happy to check the barracks and see the little present thing, lol. Wow, this was a really long A/N so thanks for reading once again, reviews are greatly appreciated and feel free to follow and/or favorite if you enjoyed! Stay tuned! ありがとうございます！


	4. Part 1- Chapter 4

Author's Note: Hi guys! I hope you all had a great Christmas and got to spend time with your family and loved ones while giving thanks! I'm hoping I can update before New Year, haha, so stay tuned for the next chapter! Also, thank you so much for the reviews, they're kind of like virtual Christmas presents to me, haha. That being said, I'd really appreciate it if you'd be willing to leave a review and/or follow and favorite if you're enjoying this story. Feel free to give me suggestions or ideas in a PM, as well!

* * *

"Wow, Lucy! Your house is really, really big!" Cynthia exclaimed, nearly knocking over a vase with her cane.

"Whoa, careful!" Lucina scolded. "My father will have my head if anything's broken!"

Severa snorted at the clumsy pegasus knight before examining the house.

"Hmm... Even in real life she's basically a princess..." She mumbled quietly.

Chrom made his way to the front door, where Gaius, Sumia, and Cordelia were.

"What's up, Blue?" Gaius asked with a smirk.

"Gaius. How'd you find Sumia?"

Sumia laughed.

"Haha, funny story. I went to the gas station to get some more gas and I saw him walking out the quick stop mart with a whole bag of candy," she giggled, causing Gaius to blush.

"Sumia and I are planning on living together," he explained, the lollipop in his mouth shifting. "She's letting me move in with her."

Chrom smiled, somewhat envious.

"Congratulations," he told them before turning to Cordelia. "Any news on Lon'qu?"

A wide grin spread across her face before she replied.

"I managed to find him on social media and get his number. We're planning on meeting up tomorrow."

"That's great news," he said.

"Oh, and Olivia contacted me through social media as well," he informed everyone. "Inigo's been de-virtualized and she'll probably stop by today in a few hours."

Lucina listened on in excitement, her face reddening slightly.

Severa took notice of this and bumped her friend's shoulder with her elbow teasingly.

"Look who's excited~" she said with a playful smirk, causing Lucina to laugh lightly.

"Well, of course. Wouldn't you be excited to see Gerome as well?"

Severa's face turned the color of a pink cupcake.

"Why does everyone keep mentioning him?!" She exclaimed before letting out a sigh. "I do miss the jerk, though."

The long-haired mercenary giggled.

"But at least I'll get to see him without that dumb mask of his 24/7."

Owain, followed by Lissa and Frederick, all heard that their guests had arrived and headed towards the main hall.

Chrom proposed that they all sit down and talk over coffee, and the children could explore the house and play games.

He sighed, wishing Robin were there. He was never good at arranging, let alone hosting social gatherings that weren't for the sake of Ylisse. Robin, on the other hand, made a better hostess, kind and hospitable. Somehow, though, he felt more at ease being a host to his friends and not foreign noblemen.

After a few hours or so of chatting, the doorbell rang and Lucina went to answer it. She opened the door to see Inigo in a blue winter jacket and Olivia wearing a white and yellow sweater over brown pants. The princess was at a loss for words before Inigo smiled at her.

"Hey, no smile for old Inigo? That's a shocker," he said with a wide grin on his face.

"Inigo!" Lucina exclaimed, throwing her arms around him. "I was so afraid... I thought you might have not made it."

Inigo returned the hug reassuringly.

"What, and leave you all alone? Nothing will keep me from my love."

Lucina smiled, causing Olivia in turn to do the same.

"Hello, Lucina," she greeted with a smile.

The princess untangled herself from Inigo's arms gently and greeted her politely.

Chrom walked toward the door, eyeing Inigo before smiling at him, then Olivia.

"Olivia. How are you?" He asked. "Come in. It must be cold out here."

"I'm doing well, thanks," she said, stepping into the house, Inigo and Lucina after.

Chrom turned to Lucina.

"Take Inigo to where you and your friends are, alright?" He instructed her. "And it's nice to see you, Inigo."

Inigo flashed a smile.

"Likewise, thank you."

The prince of Ylisse nodded and the two headed towards the game room, where their friends were holding a Smash Bros. tournament.

"Urgh! Little Mac is a cheap character, I swear!" Severa exclaimed, throwing down her GameCube controller in frustration. "Play someone who actually takes skill to play, Owain!"

Owain smirked.

"Jealous because I won?" He said smugly.

"No!" She screamed angrily, and began swearing at him. "If you think you're good at this game, you're not! Only wannabes play Little Mac! All you have to do as him is spam! And you chose after me! You have to play fair and square, stupid cheater!"

Inigo and Lucina walked in the room to hear her cussing at Owain.

"Severa!" Lucina frowned.

"Lucina, tell Owain to stop cheating!" She said, frustrated.

The princess sighed.

"How about we just ban Little Mac and call it even?" She suggested, satisfying the mercenary.

"Hmm. Mind if I play?" Inigo piped up, causing Severa, Cynthia, Owain, and Morgan to turn around and look at him.

"Inigo!" Morgan called out. "You made it!"

Inigo grinned, sitting down in front of the TV with the rest of them.

"Of course, friend," he replied.

They all greeted the would-be dancer and vice-versa, before he picked up a controller and vowed to win.

Meanwhile, Olivia joined Chrom, Lissa, Frederick, Gaius, Sumia, and Cordelia at the table for coffee.

"Wow, your house is basically a mansion," Olivia said in awe after greeting the others. "It's decorated almost like those fancy theaters, haha!"

"I suppose so," Chrom modestly replied, taking a sip of his hot espresso. He was lacking sleep because of his stupid nightmares, so it was good to have a little wake-up call in the form of coffee.

"Ah, yes, I have some information on some of the other Shepherds," Olivia blew steam from the top of her cup. "But I have good and bad news. Which do you want to hear first?"

"... Bad," Lissa said after a pause.

The pink-haired dancer sighed.

"Alright. This is so heartbreaking to say, but... Nah, Yarne, Kjelle, Laurent, and Gerome didn't make it out. The de-virtualizing machine wasn't working when they tried to scan them," she explained sullenly. "But on the other hand, they're planning to move them to the servers for Yume Online before they delete the FE:A ones."

A moment of sadness passed between them. It could have happened to any of the children.

"... Yume Online?" Gaius asked. "That new game that Dream. Co released?"

They had been out of FE:A for two months now, insurance helping them to get back on their feet so that they could get jobs and help to support themselves. Because of the tragedy caused by FE:A, many people were scared to play VR games any longer, the industry crashing down. However, the invention of the AmuSphere, a successor to the NerveGear, saved the VR business from ruin. It was designed to be able to receive brain waves, but not possessing the capability to damage them as the NerveGear did. The first game they released alongside the AmuSphere was Yume Online, a fantasy game produced by Dream Co. The game turned out to be a success, played by thousands all over the country.

Olivia nodded.

"They said they can try to de-virtualize them again, but they can only try so many times before it starts to damage their virtual bodies and minds," she bit back a sob. "Poor things..."

A solemn tone filled the air, which suddenly felt heavy.

"... At least they're alright," Cordelia spoke up. "Things could be worse."

They looked down in pity and sadness.

".. What's the good news?" Frederick asked.

"I managed to get ahold of Virion and Tharja," she told them. "I heard you contacted Maribelle and Libra already?"

"Yeah," Lissa replied. "We've been friends ever since kindergarten."

"...And I have some news on Robin," she added, startling them.

"You do?" Sumia asked in excitement.

Chrom listened more attentively.

"Well, don't get your hopes up, but... A player named Robin recently joined Yume Online not too long ago. I was checking the player lists of all the popular VRMMO's and I found her name on the Yume Online one. All I found were her name and gender, so I know it's not much to go on... But it's all we have on her so far."

A spark ignited in Chrom, a newfound hope.

"... I'm going," he announced decisively. "If there's even a small hope of finding Robin, I'll take it."

Lissa frowned at him.

"Chrom, you think you can just dive into a game and find one person? Yume Online's the most popular VRMMO in the whole country!" She sighed. "But if you're going, then I'll go too."

"So will I," Frederick added.

"... Are you sure?" Chrom asked.

"Yes," Frederick responded. "I don't start working for another month."

"Sorry, I don't think I can come," Gaius said to Chrom. "I'm starting my job soon."

Sumia shook her head.

"I can't join, either," Sumia told them. "Sorry, guys."

"Neither can I," Cordelia said.

Chrom nodded.

"It's alright. You have to put yourselves first," he said. "Olivia? What about you?"

"Well, auditions aren't going to he held soon, so I can come in the meantime," she informed him. "I'm sure Inigo would love to come, too."

"So would Lucina, Morgan, and Owain," he said. "When should we all meet up?"

"Hmm... How about on Saturday at 3:00 pm?" Lissa proposed.

"That works for me," Olivia responded.

"Oh, I can't wait to fly around with fairy wings!" Lissa exclaimed excitedly.

* * *

Chrom sat on his bed in his room, an AmuSphere in his hand. He held the device in his hand, gazing at his reflection in the glass.

"... Robin, I'm coming for you. I promise I'll find you," he said silently.

He placed the AmuSphere over his head and parallel to his temples, then laid down, staring up at the ceiling.

"Link start."


	5. Part 1- Chapter 5

Chrom logged into his account and a message popped up on the screen.

"Would you like to:

\- Transfer your account?

Or

\- Create a new avatar?"

It would be much easier for him to just transfer his account from FE:A than to create a whole new one. Plus, if he did see Robin, she'd be able to recognize him right away.

He chose the first option, and after loading for a few seconds, another message popped up.

"Thank you! Launching game..."

Suddenly he opened his eyes to see that he was inside the game, inside a town of people. He was supposed to meet Lucina, Morgan, and the others at a tavern in one of these cities, one called Alfaria. The buildings were tall and glossy, nothing like the ones in FE:A. Some shot straight up, while others had curling and twisting designs. They all reflected the color of pale blue, the sunlight bouncing off the reflective walls of the towers.

He examined himself at the nearest tower, which was so shiny that it showed his reflection. He looked just like he did in FE:A with some changes to his clothes. Over his black suit he had a white, thin, and sleeveless jacket that fanned out at his waist slightly, his pauldron gone. The sleeve on his left arm was loose and resembled a jacket sleeve.

He opened up the menu to see where he was and how far Alfaria was from his location.

"This is how FE:A was supposed to be," he thought. "But they removed all the in-game features so that it seemed like we weren't actually within a game."

The former prince opened up the map to see that he was in a town called Junne, fortunately located right next to Alfaria.

He decided to head there and began to do so before he heard someone yelling in awe behind him.

"Whoa! You have the Lord class?!" A teen asked. "Where'd you get it from?"

Unfortunately for Chrom, he was causing quite a ruckus, people staring at him.

"I, um-" he tried to explain.

"I'll buy your avatar from you!" The boy said excitedly.

"Actually, this avatar is from a transferred account," Chrom finally said clearly. "So I can't sell it, sorry."

"Aww," the teen fairy began to slink away.

After he was out of sight, Chrom opened up his menu again, checking his stats.

It read:

"Class: Lord

Level: 10"

And under it had all his stats. Curiously, he tapped on the Lord description to see why that kid must have wanted it so bad.

"Lord- A youth of royal blood. Wields swords. "

That bit didn't seem very interesting. Sure, he was a prince in FE:A, but wielding swords wasn't a very coveted skill. It wasn't until he read under that he began to see why it was a rare class.

"Rarity- Tranferred accounts only"

Apparently one could only get the Lord class from tranferred accounts. He opened his inventory in surprise to see Falchion there. He also saw a rapier and a noble rapier. "Lords only," they said, and they were effective against both mounted and armored units. To his knowledge, instead of horses, there were unicorns in Yume Online. Much more exciting than horses, to say the least. But looking around, he saw many fairies in large armored suits, perfect targets for his rapier. Clicking on Exalted Falchion, he read the description.

"Chrom only," it said.

Perhaps this game was more intricate than he thought. In FE:A, nobody else had been able to wield Falchion besides Lucina because only a select few among even the Exalted bloodline were capable of doing so. Lucina had her own Falchion, so it stood to say that the other Falchion was exclusive to Lucina.

Speaking of Lucina, he had to meet up with her and the others soon. He headed to the edge of the town when he remembered that in this game, flying was pretty much 90% of the reason players joined. And he didn't have a clue on how to do it. He flipped through the slide guides to the game and finally found a page on how to do it.

"Flying- To open your wings, simply picture wings sprouting on your back under the shoulder blades. Then, imagine the wings spreading out."

He read that far and began to try and do so, and it worked. He could feel the wings on his back growing, until they were full size. They were black in color and looked somewhat transparent. Of course they looked cool and all, but they were no use to him if he couldn't fly.

"To fly, flap your wings until you begin to lift off the ground. Once you begin to hover in the air, continue to flap your wings as you take flying position in the direction you want to go."

At first he had trouble getting the hang of the flapping in the air part, but after he did, he took flying position and his wings propelled him across the top of the forest outside of Junne. He screamed as the wind hit his face, making him cold. After he got over his initial shock, he found that he quite enjoyed flying. Soon, the pink, square buildings of Alfaria were in view and he flew towards it excitedly. The prince felt like a seven year old boy playing with a new Christmas toy.

It didn't dawn on him that he hadn't the slightest idea how to land before he rammed into one of the buildings painfully, his wings disappearing as he fell on the ground with a loud thud.

The fairies and fliers around him scattered, startled, before he heard a slow clap along with a familiar laugh behind him.

"Wow, what an entrance!" Lissa laughed.

Chrom huffed and stood up, brushing the dust off his clothes.

"Oh, well I'm sorry I wasn't spawned here," he grumbled.

The princess giggled.

"Hehe, sorry," she said. "But it was pretty hilarious."

The prince sighed at his sister.

"Whatever. Let's go meet up with everyone at the tavern," he sighed.

"Alright!" Lissa beamed.

She, like Chrom, looked identical to herself in FE:A, only her the front of her dress was cut from the belt down at the front, a brown skirt under it, along with long boots. Her headband at the front was gone, leaving only a lace headband tied around her head.

They both walked to the tavern, a small building near the middle of the bubblegum-colored city.

Upon entering, they immediately saw Olivia, Inigo, Lucina, Morgan, and Frederick at a large table near the corner. Olivia took notice of them and motioned them over with a smile.

They did so, and took seats next to them. Morgan greeted his father before returning to talk to Inigo, Lucina fiddling with her gloves.

Olivia wore her dancer outfit, looking exactly the same as she did in FE:A with the exception of the pink fairy wing tattoo on her left cheekbone.

Inigo had the garb of a mercenary on, the same one they had recruited him in. Interestingly, all of the children's clothes were the ones they found them in.

Lucina, much like Chrom, had her cape altered so that there was room for her wings, otherwise looking the same as always.

Morgan, much to Chrom's surprise, wore the same cloak as his mother, looking identical to her. It made him both happy and sad at the same time.

Frederick wore his large blue and white suit of armor, only this one wasn't designed for use on a mount. Though unicorns did exist, their lack of wings made them much less favorable than pegasi within the game. They were only used for boss missions in which pegasi hadn't the space to freely fly around a boss room.

"Hey, where's Owain?" Lissa asked, sliding in her seat next to Frederick.

Frederick shook his head.

"He's not here yet, dear," he replied. "Perhaps he spawned in a town further away from the rest of us."

The blonde girl sighed.

"He better make it. Hopefully he doesn't get sidetracked on the way here..."

Chrom took a seat next to Lucina.

"Are you alright, Father?" She asked. "You seem stressed."

He sighed.

"I'm fine, thank you," the exalt responded with a sigh. "I'm just a bit out of it from colliding with a building."

"That was you?" She tried to stifle her laughter. "There were some people talking about as they walked in."

The blue-haired princess had been smiling and laughing more often, thanks to Inigo. Chrom was glad for that.

They laughed together, and Chrom told her the story of how it happened.

After they were done chatting, Olivia spoke.

"Chrom, would you mind forming the guild now?" She asked patiently.

"Not at all," he replied.

He sent all of them friend and guild requests, naming them, of course, the Shepherds.

"Hey, where are all the other children?" Chrom asked Olivia.

She stirred the straw in her lemonade.

"As far as I know, they haven't been transferred yet," the dancer responded.

"... I see."

It was heartbreaking. The fact that it could have been Lucina or Morgan scared him. He felt so awful for their parents.

"Anyways, we better start searching for Robin after Owain gets here," Olivia said. "I think we should ask around first, although it's not reliable. Still, it's the best we've got at the moment."

Chrom nodded.

Ten minutes passed. Then twenty. Then thirty. By then, everyone was worried sick.

"What's taking him so long?" Frederick wondered out loud. "He should be here by now."

Lissa played with her sleeves anxiously.

"Even if he is Owain, I'd figure he'd be able to make his way here by himself," she said nervously.

"We should search for him," Morgan proposed.

"Yes, that seems-" Chrom began to say before they noticed a horde of people clumping together outside the tavern. They all rushed outside to see what the ruckus was about.

At first Chrom couldn't see what was going on, but he heard Lissa's sharp gasp and her sobs and his heart fell.

A man in a black hood with a white mask decorated with red marks held Owain by the hair, the poor boy bruised and beaten, barely conscious. Another person stood behind him, his mask white with a black carving from his eyebrow dragging down to his cheek.

"This is what happens to those who cross into our territory," the one with the red marks held Owain higher, like a rag doll. "Take this as a warning, all of you!"

His voice was dark and raspy, yet each word struck fear in all who heard it.

"See what happens when you interfere with us!"

He kicked the boy in the back, Owain grunting as he fell unconscious on the stone floor.

Lissa's fists trembled in rage. She lunged at the man before Frederick, Chrom, or anyone else could stop her.

"You'll pay!" She screamed.

"Lissa, no!" Chrom called out in horror.

The princess punched him in the face before being slapped to the ground harshly by the other hooded person. She fell to the ground painfully.

Frederick and Chrom rushed to them, the former holding Lissa while the other picked up Owain.

"You," The figure with the black carvings said, facing Chrom. It turned out the person was a girl, her voice dark and thick like a storm cloud. "Your friend crossed the borders to our guild's territory. This is a mere warning; a small taste of our power. If this happens again, the consequences will be much more severe."

They turned around to leave.

"Wait!" Chrom shouted. "Who are you?"

"My name is Chimera," the female looked back to face him.

"Mine is Ryū," the other one said monotonously. "Remember our names, that you'll never impede us again."

They disappeared into the shadow, melting into the darkness.

The crowd began to disperse nervously, some eyeing Owain as they left.

"Lissa!" Frederick exclaimed, holding her in his arms.

"S-Sorry," she stuttered weakly. "... What I did back there was really stupid."

The great knight's brow furrowed in concern.

"You're lucky your HP doesn't go down in towns," he told her sternly. "If you died, I..."

"I know," Lissa said. "I'm so sorry."

She looked down at Owain, his head on Chrom's lap.

"Frederick, let me heal him," she said.

He complied and she pulled her staff out of her inventory, casting the incantation for a healing spell. The glowing yellow words surrounded her in a spinning cylinder before he got healed, his bruises and cuts fading away. Although one's HP doesn't go down in town, it doesn't heal them either.

Owain began to stir, awakening.

"M-Mother...?" He asked.

"Owain!" Lissa cried out, embracing him. "What happened?!"

"I... I was trying to fly here. But the place between the city I spawned in and here apparently belonged to that guild... When they saw I was there, they... They beat me up. Then they must have hauled me here and made an example of me..." He grunted, his pride wounded. "... I'm sorry for making you all worry."

Inigo looked at the ground.

"Owain... Don't you think they looked like..." His voice trailed off.

"The Grimleal," Lucina finished grimly. "With the hoods and all."

Owain nodded.

"That's what I was thinking," he said. "But I didn't realize it until I was getting dragged around."

A silence followed before Morgan spoke.

"... Could it really be them?"

"GRIMA, as in the AI, doesn't exist in this timeline," Lucina said. "How would they even know him?"

Inigo shook his head.

"No idea," he sighed. "But one thing's for sure; they're up to no good here.

* * *

Robin opened her eyes, blinking the dust out of them. She found she was in some sort of cage, like a bird's, about the size of an elevator room. Her hair was untied and grew to her lower back, and her tactician's cloak was ripped and torn, not doing much to keep her warm in the cold cage. The room she was in was dark, lit only by torches on the wall.

She stood up to see that there were no locks or doors on the cage. How did she get in there?

"Where am I?" She thought before gasping.

Chrom.

Where was Chrom?

The last she remembered, she had attacked Grima and faded away, Chrom running towards her. What had happened since then? Why hadn't she woken up? This certainly wasn't the hospital. Was she taken captive? She pondered these questions, not finding reasonable answers for them.

"It's been quite a while," a voice said.

A chill was sent up her spine. She knew that voice. It was like an old song she had forgotten about until she heard it again. He definitely sounded older, but she knew that voice clear as day.

He walked up to her and looked her in the eye, his grass green eyes staring into hers. "Robin."

She gritted her teeth.

"Where am I? And why are you here?" Robin demanded angrily.

He sighed.

"I know the last time we saw each other, we left on bad terms," he told her. "But I want you to know that I'm not supposed to be here right now."

That made her furious.

"Well if I wasn't here, I'd probably have woken up by now!" She exclaimed. "Don't you think I miss being in the real world?"

His brow furrowed.

"Miss the real world? Or miss Chrom, Lucina, and Morgan?" He asked calmly.

Her heart bounced up at that. How could he know?

"... I know how you and the prince got married and had children in the game," he continued. "And how you sacrificed yourself to end it."

He looked the cage up and down.

"Look at where that got you," he frowned. "All your other petty little friends couldn't care less about you. They know you haven't woken up and don't care. They're far too busy with their own lives to worry about you anymore."

Robin bit back tears.

"Why did you bring me here? What do you plan on doing with me?" She asked angrily.

"Changing the topic, I see? Fine. After all, it must be hard to know that the same people you saved are the ones who're turning their backs on you," he sighed. "But I didn't bring you here. And as on what we're to do with you, that's classified information."

He looked her in the eye one last time.

"Well, it was nice chatting with you," he informed her, a tinge of sadness in his voice. "It's a shame we won't be talking like this again."

A black fume began to rise from the bottom of the cage, its sickeningly sweet smell making her sluggish and sleepy.

"What... What's happening...?" She asked, falling to her knees.

He turned around and walked away towards the door, the smoke-like fog swirling around and suffocating her.

She coughed and tried to plug her nose to no avail before she blacked out, her last thoughts of Chrom and his comforting smile.

* * *

Author's Note: Thank you all so much for your reviews, follows and favorites. I'm sorry I'm not able to do any review responses this chapter because I'm in a rush to get on my next plane, but I'll definitely make sure to do all of them for the next one, which will be as soon as I get wifi, lol. Anyways, thank you again and as always, your feedback is precious to me. Stay tuned for the next chapter!


	6. Part 1- Chapter 6

Review Responses:

Silverbird22- Haha you'll see! And thank you! Unfortunately FEA is the only Fire Emblem game I've played so far, but sometime I'd like to try the other games in the series. When I do, though, I just might consider making some fics!

Ninja Spy- Thank you! And feel free to suggest any ideas or pairings! For this story, I wanted to do pairings that I felt had cute supports/ships rather than optimization pairings, lol. Also, I did originally intend for NAGA and GRIMA to be acronyms but I'm not quite sure what to make them stand for, hehe. And I'm very thankful for your reviews, they really make my day!

NotSoGreatGamerGirl- Thank you for all your continued reviews ever since chapter one! I think that you actually are great, haha! I also love your fics, too, by the way!

* * *

After resting in an inn overnight (in the game), the group decided to ask around for Robin. Each time they asked, the answer was no. Chrom began to get frustrated. He had been asleep in the real world for twenty minutes, almost half the time allowed for AmuSphere use. Productivity levels would go down otherwise, but in-game, thirty minutes was equivalent to one day.

After almost an hour of questioning, they all met at the same tavern where they originally gathered.

"Any luck?" Chrom asked, everyone shaking their heads.

"Nobody's seen her, Chrom," Olivia told him sadly. "We have no more leads on her."

The prince sighed. He should've figured it wouldn't be that easy. At this point, he was getting impatient, which was the exact opposite of what he knew Robin would tell him to do.

"Well, how about we try to level up and complete some missions for a while?" Morgan suggested. "Maybe on the way we'll pick up some news on Mother."

Lucina nodded.

"I agree," she adjusted her sheath. "Mother would want us to enjoy ourselves."

"Alright, then," Chrom said. "Let's start out with some C-rank missions and move up from there."

They all made their way to a forest just outside Gale, a city east from Alfaria. Apparently there were rumors of a hidden mission in which some items were dropped by monsters. That would be a good place to start.

The forest was beautiful and enchanting, with small fantasy creatures hopping about and colorful flowers that changed colors as the sunlight shifted.

"So where are we supposed find these monsters?" Lissa asked, twisting a flower between her fingertips.

"I think we need to find their spawn camps, Aunt Lissa," Morgan said, scanning the trees.

"Shh!" Inigo suddenly said, peering down at a bush.

The others did so and slowly and quietly made their way to where he was to see what he was so excited about.

Within the bush was a large rabbit, the size of a backpack, and its baby bunnies.

"They say these rabbits are rare and drop really strong items," he whispered.

Chrom inspected the bunnies.

"Who gets the exp.?" He asked.

"I think you should, Father," Lucina sheathed her Falchion. "After all, you are our leader."

All the others nodded in agreement.

He complied and pulled out Falchion, leveling it above the rabbits. Before he swung his sword down, a jagged dagger flew from a tree and skewered the rabbit, bunnies and all. They dissolved and the item drops were transferred to the killer.

"Hey!" Lissa called out in anger. "That was our kill!"

A muffled laugh was heard from the treetops, a black cloak visible from one of the branches.

"Show yourself!" Frederick demanded.

When the stranger failed to comply, the great knight chucked a javelin at the branch, causing him to dodge and fall to the ground, landing softly on his feet.

This one had the same black cloak as the other guild members they had seen the other day, but his mask was black with crimson red eyes.

"Give us back our drops!" Inigo demanded, equipping his sword.

The stranger equipped his sword, a killing edge. Chrom quickly checked to see what class he was, but it mysteriously said "Unknown". His name was Mirage, and he was level 30 in his class. His skills were Counter and four "Unknown" skills. Where did he get them from? Unknown skills were skills that can't be obtained through normal gameplay, attainable only by transferred accounts or special DLC's. Olivia's Special Dance and +4 Luck are such skills, as she is the only dancer in the whole game because of her transferred account. Only members of her guild and Olivia herself can see the skills and what they do; to anyone else, they're simply branded as "Unknown" skills. But at the max, one should only one or two Unknown skills. Five unheard of, unless he bought them from someone else. Many of the classes from FE:A were included in Yume Online, except for the Lord, Dancer, and Tactician classes, all of which are impossible for him to acquire. He must've gotten his skills from past DLC's or bought them, Chrom thought.

"Hmph. Fine, if you want your drops back, then you have to beat me and two of my guildmates," he told them. "When I die, I'll drop the last pouch in my inventory, which contains all the drops from the rabbit. And if we win, then we get to keep our loot."

"Me?" Inigo asked, holding his sword in front of him.

"All of you," the man said. "Feel free to use whatever weapons or skills you want."

Two people emerged out of the shadows behind the man, in black cloaks and masks.

"Pleasure seeing you again," one of them said, her cloudy voice sadistic. It was the same girl from the night before, with the black carving on her mask. The man next to her was the one with the red paint of his mask, an axe hanging at his side.

Silence passed before she spoke again, this time with a slow laugh.

"I take it I'm the only one, then?" She equipped her spear, holding it in her right hand tightly. "Fine. Let's get started, if you've nothing to say."

Morgan checked their stats. The girl, Chimera, was an Unknown class with Astra and four Unknown skills. The other one, the male, was also an Unknown class with Counter and four Unknown skills, similar to Mirage.

"That's strange," he thought.

He snapped out of it when Chrom instructed all of them to draw their weapons before he accepted the party duel invitation.

They began, and immediately Chrom, Olivia, and Frederick charged Mirage, who equipped a levin sword.

"What?" Chrom thought. "Levin swords are exclusive to FE:A! There's no way he could have one! Unless..."

Meanwhile, Lucina, and Morgan fought Chimera while Inigo and Owain dealt with Ryū. Lissa stood near the back, her staff ready to heal.

Morgan shot Arcfire balls with his tome while Lucina attempted to stab at her with Falchion, but the nimble girl was fast and flexible like an acrobat, jumping up using her lance.

Owain slashed at Ryū with his sword, the axe user dodging his every attack. Inigo, whose sword usually always met its target, was surprisingly missing.

Lucina managed to stab Chimera's shoulder, wounding her arm. Much to the siblings' surprise, the girl took her spear and cut off her wounded arm. They took that moment to try and finish her, but they heard the sound of a critical hit activation and saw the Astra mark over her head.

"This is the end!" Chimera said before Morgan was struck once, then twice, then a third time, the fourth time his health dropping to zero.

"No! Morgan!" Lucina cried out as Morgan's avatar shattered into red pieces, a mumbled apology floating into the air.

"Morgan!" Inigo said in disbelief.

"Keep your eyes on your own battle!" Ryū struck him, swinging his axe down onto the boy's sword. Inigo blocked it closely, almost too late. Owain then lunged at the cloaked man and stabbed him through the stomach. For a moment he felt satisfaction, before feeling a searing pain in his own stomach before realizing that his enemy had the Counter skill.

He bled virtual blood before feeling the wound close slightly, his mother healing him.

Ryū began to bleed as well, but much to Lucina's shock, she re-equipped her spear with a stave and used a Catharsis on her guildmate before switching back to her spear.

".. How?" Lucina wondered. "A lance and a staff user?"

Chimera, seeing the princess' shocked expression, laughed before beginning to swipe at her with her long spear. Lucina managed to dodge all her attacks, and was about to counterattack when suddenly, her enemy vanished out of thin air.

"Where...?"

Suddenly she felt a spear impaling her from behind, a sense of shock and humiliation filling her.

".. What kind of skill is that?" Lucina thought before she died.

Lissa gasped in fear.

"Lucina lost?!" She thought to herself before she was bisected by the same spear, her body shattering into red pieces as well.

Chrom and Frederick kept Mirage on his toes, Frederick using his silver lance while Chrom used Falchion. Whenever they ran low on energy, Olivia would dance and replenish them.

They managed to wear him down just enough that Frederick could strike him in the chest. However, just before the great knight attacked, his lance disappeared from his hands and was replaced with a levin sword, to his surprise. Where Mirage's sword once was, Frederick's lance replaced it, stabbing into the brown-haired man's abdomen.

Frederick grunted in pain before the weapons switched themselves back, Mirage doing a backflip onto the ground behind him.

The great knight huffed, bleeding through his armor.

"That... What was that?" He heaved.

"I'd explain, but a good magician never reveals his secrets," Mirage said.

Frederick fell to his knees before he died, his HP slowly dropping to zero. Olivia gasped in horror.

Chrom suddenly felt a wave of nauseating realization as he stared at Mirage's levin sword.

"Where'd you get that sword?" He demanded furiously. "There's no way you could've gotten that from a DLC or this game. You were an FE:A player, weren't you?"

"I was, but I wasn't," he laughed mockingly.

"Either that, or you stole it from someone who..." His eyes widened as he recalled that he had only seen one other person close to him use a levin sword.

Chrom gripped Falchion so tightly that his knuckles cracked, anger bubbling up within him.

"Where is she? What did you do to her?" He shouted, ire dripping off his words. "Tell me!"

Mirage held the sword up, electricity crackling around the blade.

"Nothing she didn't deserve," he smirked. "It seems you're less daft than I thought."

Consumed by his rage, Chrom blindly flew towards his opponent, Mirage easily countering his strike.

"Careful, prince, your emotions seem to be getting the best of you," he mocked.

"What do you know about Robin?" Chrom yelled. "Where is she?"

Meanwhile, Inigo and Owain dueled with Ryū before Chimera decided to join.

"Two on two seems fair, does it not?" Chimera tapped her killer lance on the ground.

She charged Owain, weaving her blade throughout the air, slicing his sleeve open. He had trouble dodging thanks to his stomach wound, barely keeping up. Chimera suddenly swept Owain's foot with her leg before stabbing him clean through the chest in one fluid motion.

Inigo snarled in frustration as Ryū swung his axe at him, nearly bisecting him.

"You're pretty good, kid," the cloaked man said. "But it's time to end this fight."

He threw his axe up in the air, and in a second it split into two separate axes, Ryū catching both of them skillfully.

Inigo saw a skill activation mark over his head, of two crossed axes.

".. That's?!"

"You're dead!" He exclaimed, before readying his axes.

His enemy whirled his axes around in a circle around him, slicing Inigo's flesh as he charged.

The teal-haired mercenary toppled to the ground silently, cursing himself for being so weak.

As Chrom questioned Mirage, Olivia noticed his depleting energy level and began to dance, spreading her arms out.

"Oh, no you don't," Chimera suddenly appeared behind her and held a dagger to her neck before finishing her off.

"Olivia!" Chrom called out, realizing he was all alone. Mirage's levin sword began toglow, and a skill appeared above his head, one of a lightning bolt.

"Time to finish this!"

Three bolts of lighting sprung from the levin sword and attacked Chrom, encaging before electrocuting him. He cried out, remembering the same pain from when Robin struck him.

"We win," Mirage said smugly before disappearing into the shadows before Chrom died, the respawn menu popping up.

* * *

Author's Note: Thank you all for reading! Hopefully I can update before New Years', lol. I made this chapter really long because of the airplane and taxi rides, hehe. Anyways, as always, please feel free to review, follow, and/or favorite and stay tubed for the next chapter!


	7. Part 1- Chapter 7

Review responses:

blankprofe- Thank you so much! I felt the same way about SAO and its characters/storyline (except for Mother's Rosario, that was pretty good) and I wanted to use that premise for a story with one of my favorite games, haha. Anyways, thank you again for your review and make sure to check back again for future chapters!

Silverbird22- Oh, I never thought of that, haha! Unfortunately I can't watch videos until I get back from my vacation, but when I do I'll definitely try to watch some playthroughs. As for the other children, that's a surprise, heehee... I'll try to update as soon as I can!

NotSoGreatGamerGirl- Haha, yet another surprise! Make sure you keep updated so you can find out! And also, thank you as well. I'm so glad you're enjoying this fic!

* * *

Chrom, in his frustration, logged out and woke up in his bed. He pounded his fist on the mattress out of anger for losing the match, and out of anger for failing to get Mirage to talk about Robin. He had let her slip away, again. The prince laid his head down upon his pillow, closing his eyes before he heard a knock on the door.

"Father?" Morgan said from outside, his voice muffled. "May I come in?"

"Of course," Chrom replied, his temper calming.

His son opened the door shyly and walked into the room.

"Are you alright? Everyone else respawned except for you," he made his way toward the bed and sat down.

His father buried his face in his hands.

"... I failed. I'm sorry, Morgan. I'm so sorry," he apologized sadly.

Morgan inched toward Chrom until he was right beside him.

"What for?" His son asked. "You didn't do anything."

Chrom shook his head.

"No, it's my fault. First, I let your mother defeat Grima. Maybe... Maybe if I had done it, she would've woken up. After that, I could have gotten Mirage to give me some information on her if I beat him," he sighed. "But I lost. Now, I don't... I don't know if we'll ever find her. I'm sorry, Morgan. You deserve better... You deserve a mother."

Morgan wrapped his arms around his father.

"... Mother knew," he said softly. "She knew, even in the game, that there was a chance she wouldn't come back. She did it to protect the world... To protect us."

Chrom embraced his son.

"I know..." He looked at Morgan's face, which resembled Robin's. The same eyes, nose, cheeks, everything. But he had his father's hair and smile.

"Are you going to log back in, Father?" Morgan asked. "It's alright if you don't want to, though. It must be harder for you than any of us... You knew her the best, after all."

His words struck a chord within Chrom.

"... Yeah," He said.

"Oh, and Father, what were you saying about Mirage having information on Mother?" The blue-haired tactician asked.

The memory of it made Chrom sick.

"He... He had a levin sword. Your mother was a master of the levin sword, and they were hard to come by. And given his ability to be able to take weapons and switch them back... He could have taken her sword and killed her. That's the only reasonable explanation I can come up with."

"Hmm..." Morgan pondered this information. "That makes sense. But if Mother was killed, why didn't she log out? Wait, no, she's still hooked up to the NerveGear! Do you think...?"

That scared Chrom.

"... No, she can't be dead," he said, trying to calm himself down. "The hospital would've called me if anything happened."

Morgan sighed in relief.

"Oh, right, sorry. I forgot about that," he breathed. "But where is she? I'm sure she would log out the first chance she got. If she really is in the game, then why can't she log out?"

That got Chrom thinking.

"I have no idea," he sighed. "Let's get back to the game."

"Alright," Morgan got up.

"Um, wait," Chrom faced his son. "Thank you, son. Having you and Lucina here with me is one of the best things that's ever happened. I only wish Robin could be here, too."

Morgan grinned.

"Of course, Father. I wish Mother was here as well. But I'm sure we'll find her. Our ties have to be stronger than some game, right?"

Chrom nodded in agreement before Morgan left and the prince logged in again, spawning in Alfaria, the last city he visited. Morgan had instructed him to meet them in the same tavern again, their temporary meeting place before they got enough money to buy a guild house.

He awkwardly sat down next to Morgan, all the others looking a bit dejected.

"... Are you doing alright, Father?" Lucina asked. "We were all worried when you didn't respawn."

Chrom shook his head.

"I'm fine, Lucina. Thank you," he told her reassuringly. "But I think I might have some more information on Robin."

They all perked up.

"What is it?" Inigo asked.

He explained the situation and all that he and Morgan talked about, including his theory. Two questions remained, though: Where was Robin and why didn't/can't she log out? Some of them offered a few other observations, but none made complete sense.

"That man, Mirage, had what looked like a weapon swap skill," Frederick said. "He switched my lance with his sword. But there are no known classes in this game that let a person use those two except for Great Knight, but he certainly wasn't on a unicorn."

"And the girl, Chimera, had some sort of warping skill," Lucina recalled, remembering her humiliating defeat. "She disappeared and reappeared behind me in the blink of an eye."

"Yeah!" Lissa agreed. "She took me out in less than a second!"

Olivia frowned slightly.

"She used that skill on me, too."

"Our opponent, Ryū, had a rare skill too," Owain observed. "He split his axe into two axes and used some sort of awesome special move on Inigo."

Inigo grimaced.

"You make it sound like it was fun, but it was really the opposite. For me, at least..."

"They all had unknown skills and classes," Chrom summarized. "We don't know where they got them or how. And each of them only used one of their unknown skills except for Mirage... He used two, the weapon swap skill and that lightning skill. That means they still have two and three skills we don't know about. If we got beaten so easily by them only using one or two of their skills, then we've got a serious problem..."

"I agree," Morgan bit his lip. "But I think we should start getting some exp. and money so we can get stronger. Those players have probably been playing since the launch of this game. We have to do some serious work if we want to stand up to them."

Lucina nodded.

"You're right, Morgan. I will not allow anyone to hurt anyone I care for, including my mother!" She exclaimed determinedly.

They went to another forest and began to hunt normally. They leveled up a level or two after defeating a few spawn camps. They had come to a particularly weak forest, so it was a good place to start. The group had just finished another camp before they heard what sounded like shouting.

"What's that?" Lissa asked. "Oh no, I hope it's not them..."

Chrom flew off towards the noise anyway, causing his sister to sigh. The rest of them opened their wings and followed until they were at the edge of the forest and saw a small girl with blue hair tied into high ponytails on both sides of her head fighting a large plant monster. Much to Chrom's surprise, she didn't look any older than eleven or maybe twelve. Despite this, she clearly was a capable fighter and fought in her armor like it was comfortable clothing. One of the vines struck her head, knocking her down and making her hairties fall off. Her long hair fell to her waist and she shook her now messy bangs onto her forehead. She quickly chopped off the plant's vines before the delivering the finishing blow with a skill Chrom couldn't see because of how fast she attacked, killing it. She sheathed her sword before glancing over at the Shepherds, who watched her in awe.

Suddenly the blue-haired girl re-equipped her sword and pointed it at them.

"What are you looking at? Were you planning on taking my drop?" She questioned them, sounding surprisingly mature.

"No, of course not," Chrom said, trying to calm her down. "We heard yelling and thought maybe someone needed help.

The girl snorted.

"Well, I assure you I need no help. Not with taking down monsters, at least. But if you truly don't mean any harm, then I have something to ask you," she lowered her sword.

"What is it?"

"... I'm looking for someone. Someone by the name of Chrom. Have you seen him?"

That caused a stunned silence for a few seconds.

"... Why are you looking for him?" Chrom asked.

"Well, I heard he had come to the game and wanted to see him. So have you seem him or not?" Her voice began to get impatient.

The prince sighed.

"You're looking at him."

The girl first looked shocked, but then narrowed her eyes.

"What proof do you have?"

"Well, if you know what this is," he equipped Falchion. "You can also check my name."

She did, and her eyes widened, seeing the name.

"Oh, gosh... I... I found you," she began to say, her eyes welling up before she ran to him, hugging him.

"Um," Chrom said uncomfortably. "Might I ask who you are?"

The girl looked up at him, her dark brown eyes staring into his, and it felt like he was looking at Robin herself.

"... Are you?" Chrom began to say.

She nodded.

"I am. I-I..." She began to sob. "I've wanted to meet you for so long, Father."

He gently hugged her before he overcame his initial shock.

"Where's Mother? I'd love to meet her," she asked curiously.

That made them all tense. She could feel it as she continued to hug her siblings.

"What's wrong? Where..." She looked around. "Where is she?"

The girl turned to Chrom.

"Where's Mother?" She asked, making his heart stop.

"... Your mother, uh- what's your name?" He asked.

"My name's Yui!" She said with a smile that looked so much like her mother's.

That made Chrom happy.

"Yui, your mother is-" his voice cracked, remembering the pain of losing her.

"Your mother, our mother, I mean, isn't here right now," Lucina said, walking up to her, Morgan close behind.

"Who are you...?" Yui stared at them curiously.

"If Mother had blue hair, I bet she looked like this when she was younger..." Morgan thought.

"We're your siblings. I'm Morgan, and that's Lucina," he introduced them. "It's nice to meet you, Yui."

Yui's eyes lit up like she saw a cookie hidden in Morgan's pocket and raced toward him, giving him a big hug, nearly tackling him.

"Whoa!" He exclaimed.

"Oh, I've always wanted a big brother!" She hugged him tightly before rushing to Lucina and doing the same.

"And I've always wanted a big sister, too!" Her silky hair flew in the wind as she ran towards her. "Oh, Hiro's gonna be so happy when he finds out!"

"Hiro?" Lucina asked. "Who's that?"

"My twin brother!" Yui explained. "He was looking for you in another town. I bet he'd want to meet you too!"

"Wait, you have a twin?" Chrom asked.

Yui nodded before hugging his arm.

"Do you want to meet him?" She asked.

"Um, sure," her father replied.

"Oh, goodie! Can I ride in your pocket?" Yui asked.

"My pocket?"

Yui suddenly began to glow and shrink, becoming as small as Chrom's finger.

"I'm a pixie, see? I can only fly in pixie form," she fixed her tiny blue dress. "But these wings don't get me very far. Can I ride in your pocket so I don't get tired?"

Her bubbly personality made Chrom laugh.

"Sure, but under one condition."

She hovered in front of his face.

"What is it?"

"You have to answer a few of my questions after we find your brother, alright?" He proposed.

"Deal!" Yui flew straight into his front pocket on his chest. "Heehee! Okay, Hiro's in Cirria right now. Let's look for him there, okay?"

"Okay," it was shocking how her personality had shifted so quickly. She had almost acted like Lucina had when she was Marth, but then she changed into a cheerful and hyper girl. It made Chrom wonder what her brother was like. "Shepherds, follow me!"

They all did and flew to Cirria, which was on the other side of the forest. They all landed and Yui changed back to her normal form.

"Hold on, please, I'll message him," she opened her menu and did just that. After a minute she closed it. "He said to meet him by the weapons smith."

Chrom nodded and took them there. His heart stopped when he saw the boy sitting on a bench next to the smith. At first he did a double take, thinking his eyes deceived him. But this boy, his apparent son, looked like him when he was a child.

"Whoa, he looks like you, Chrom!" Lissa exclaimed.

Hiro looked up and ran towards them.

"... Are you Chrom?" He asked in disbelief.

"I am," Chrom replied. "You must be Hiro."

The boy nodded.

"That's correct, I..." His eyes welled up. "I just... It's just so good to finally meet you, Father..."

Chrom embraced the boy.

"It's alright, son, I'm here now..."

Yui coughed, grabbing their attention.

"So, you wanted to ask me some questions, Father? I'm sure Hiro will help, too."

Hiro nodded.

"Alright, then," Chrom faced the Shepherds. "Everyone, feel free to shop or forge while we talk. We'll meet after I send you all a message."

They complied before Chrom stopped Lucina and Morgan.

"You both should come, too."

The two siblings did so and on the way to a café, Yui grabbed Morgan's hand.

"Can give me a piggyback ride?" She asked.

"Yeah!" Morgan replied, hoisting her up on his back.

"Yay!" Yui smiled, clinging to her older brother.

Hiro shyly walked up to Lucina before tapping her shoulder.

"Hiro? What is it?" She asked. "... Would you like me to carry you, too?"

He shook his head.

"I just wanted to hold your hand," he said quietly.

"Of course," Lucina grabbed his hand gently. Hiro smiled contentedly, swinging their hands softly.

Chrom looked back to see them, the sight heart melting. When they made it to the café, Morgan put Yui down and they all sat down, Chrom, Lucina, and Morgan on one side, while Yui and Hiro sat on the other side.

"So, would you mind explaining how you got here? In this game, I mean?" Chrom asked after ordering them drinks.

"We came from the same future as our older siblings," Hiro explained, looking at Lucina and Morgan. "Before Mother died... She was pregnant with us. But nobody knew, not even her. That was until she began to feel it when she was in-game, since time flows faster there. She was about to tell you, Father... But that was when GRIMA shut down the "Log Out" feature of all the games and no one could log out. At the time, you were inside FE:A to visit Lucina and Morgan. That was before GRIMA killed Mother to set an example... But since our consciousnesses had already been stirring within her, NAGA sent us back in time with everyone else before Mother was completely deleted. The time travel process made us age somehow, and we landed here a few days ago instead of back when Lucina and Morgan were sent back. I think NAGA knew we probably wouldn't have made it if she sent us back that far. She programmed these memories into us, but they didn't come back until just recently."

"That's why I didn't remember how Mother hasn't woken up yet..." Yui said quietly. "I never met her. Or you, Father. Or Lucina or Morgan."

"... It's makes sense," Lucina fidgeted with her sleeves. "Mother died along with all the rest of the patients in the hospital. But... I had no idea she was pregnant."

A moment of silence passed before Hiro spoke.

"Um... What does Mother look like?"

"... Perhaps you'd like to see her?" Chrom asked.

Yui shook her head.

"Of course we would. We'd love to. But we can't," she sighed sadly. "The de-virtualization machine's not working as smoothly as it used to. It could be months before they get it working safely again."

"... I can't just leave you here," he told them solemnly.

"No, it's alright, Father," Hiro said. "... Right now we need to focus on finding Mother."

"Do you have any more information on her?" Chrom asked eagerly.

Yui nodded.

"Before, we were tracking her account to see if we could find her. But recently it disappeared off the player list and we lost any traces of her we could find. We knew something wasn't right," she bit her lip. "So when we heard someone with the Lord class joined, we figured it would be you, and we could look for Mother together."

"So she didn't go offline? She just disappeared?" Chrom asked.

"That's what seems to have happened," Hiro said, deep in thought. "But that could mean one of two things: Her account was deleted, which is extremely unlikely. The last we checked, she's still in the hospital. If her account was deleted while she was in-game, she would die. But this isn't the case. The second situation could be that- No, never mind, it doesn't make sense."

"... Hey, can you two come here for a minute?" Chrom asked. They complied and sat down on either side of him before he pulled them into a hug. "Heh... twins, huh? Who knew?"

"Oh, Father..." Yui sobbed, embracing him tight. "I love you! You're just like I imagined!"

"I love you as well, Father," Hiro sniffled. "... Please don't leave."

He wiped his tears on his sleeve.

"... Wait, no, that was silly of me," he corrected himself. "You have to leave. You can't stay here forever, like us..."

"I might not be able to stay here forever, but I promise I'll come when I can. One day in the real world is forty-two days here... You must have been waiting quite some time to find me."

They nodded, trying to stifle their tears. Within the game, though, it was impossible. If the tears rose up, they fell down.

"Yui," Chrom held his daughter and wiped her face. "You look so much like your mother."

Her face lit up.

"... I do?"

"Yes. Just as beautiful as her, too."

"And Hiro," he ruffled the boy's hair. "You remind me so much of myself when I was a boy... Heh, those were the days."

"How so?" Hiro asked curiously, tying to wipe his nose. "You're so brave and confident... And strong. But I'm a scaredy cat and a wimp."

"Don't say that," Chrom said firmly but gently. "The only thing limiting you is your attitude. When I was younger, I was such a scrawny and spoiled kid. But then, when I realized that, I wanted to become better, and stronger. For myself and for those who I care about. Even now... I'm still afraid. But that's not a bad thing as long as you don't let that fear control you. You can do it, too."

"Oh... Father, thank you so much, I..." Hiro stuttered between sobs, burying his face into his father's shoulder.

After a minute or so, Yui finally broke the silence.

"What's Mother like?" She asked.

"I should let Lucina and Morgan explain," Chrom looked at the two expectantly.

"Mother's one of the kindest and smartest people I've ever known," Lucina reflected. "She always did what was best for everyone, not just herself..."

The princess remembered that evening, the red and yellow sky. The glint of Falchion as the sunlight hit it as she pointed it towards the woman who loved her most, her mother. Looking back, it was one of the worst things she had ever done, or attempted to do. Her mother's words rang in her head, like they did every night before she dreamt, even when she was asleep.

"If you hold any love for Chrom, then let this be done..." Lucina had said. Deep in her heart, she knew that Robin loved Chrom just as much as she loved her daughter. This was only confirmed even more by her response.

"... My life is yours. It always has been," Robin wore a gentle smile, a smile one would wear when seeing an adorable baby, which in Robin's eyes, was her beloved daughter in front of her. Lucina couldn't believe how even when a sword was being pointed at her, by her own child no less, she could still look at her with her gentle eyes and love her.

"Don't say that, Mother! Don't!" Lucina said beseechingly. "... That only... makes it harder."

"I would give my life for Chrom... And for you," Her mother spoke before smiling once more, the same one Lucina had seen when she first reunited with her. "I know you will be quick about it. I love you, Lucina."

"M-Mother..." Lucina began to tear up.

"... I'm ready now. Do what you must."

Robin closed her eyes, looking tranquil and at peace, as if asleep.

"..." Lucina's arms began to shake, her tears falling uncontrollably as she cried silently.

She didn't want to. She didn't want to do it. She didn't want to kill the mother who loved and cared for her unconditionally. Lucina was choosing between her father and mother. If she chose her mother, Chrom would die and the world would erupt into chaos. If she chose her father, Robin would die and Grima wouldn't be resurrected, and her father would live.

The princess hated Grima, the dragon who had ruined her life and killed her parents. When she found out Grima and her mother were one, her first instinct was to eradicate the fell dragon once and for all while she had the chance.

But now she saw that her Mother's life was too high a price to pay.

"... Oh, damn me! I can't do it!" She exclaimed, dropping Falchion on the ground and falling to her knees, sadness overwhelming her. "I'm sorry, Mother! I'm so sorry! Please forgive me!"

Robin rushed to her daughter, holding her close and stroking her back comfortingly.

"Oh, my poor girl," she brushed Lucina's hair out of her face and wiped her tears. "There's nothing to forgive."

Lucina wept into Robin's cloak, sobbing uncontrollably while her mother comforted her.

"Yeah! And she always stood up for what was right!" Morgan chimed in. "She always kept fighting for everyone she loved... And I think she still is."

The twins beamed excitedly.

"Wow! She's really my mother? Oh, I'd love to meet her!" Yui tugged on Chrom's arm. "She sounds just like what I dreamt she was like!"

"I'll have to train twice as hard now so I can finally meet her myself," Hiro said determinedly.

Chrom smiled at them before a warning popped up in front of him, signaling he only had an hour left in-game.

Yui looked over at it and her face fell.

"Oh," she said, her voice becoming weak. "You have to go soon."

Hiro remained silent, only clinging to Chrom tighter, as if pleading for him to stay.

"Hey, I'll be back tomorrow," Chrom told them. "... Which is more than a month here, I know. But I promise I'll come back for you whenever I get the chance."

"Pinky promise?" Yui asked hopefully, holding out her pinky while Hiro mirrored her.

"... Alright," he interlocked his pinkies with theirs, causing them to smile.

"Thank you, Father," Yui squeezed Chrom with all the force in her arms, which was a lot from the years of training she'd gone through. She and Hiro were actually much older than they looked. Since an avatar is either created from one's real life body or made from scratch, it never ages unless unless one set the settings for it to do so. Since Yui and Hiro were virtual children, their bodies only existed on the network and never aged because they didn't have external access to their accounts.

"Can I call you Daddy?" The younger girl asked.

"Can I, as well?" Hiro also asked, much to his surprise.

"Sure," he told them. "Why didn't you call me that before?"

"Well... At first I thought that, but then I was afraid you might mind," Hiro explained.

"Of course I wouldn't mind," Chrom informed them. "You're my children. You can call me Father, Daddy... You're family either way."

Now all the Shepherds only had about an half an hour left. Chrom instructed Lucina and Morgan to play with Yui and Hiro and gave them money to buy ice cream while he met with the rest of the guild. He called them all together to meet at the park and he told them all of the situation.

"I'll be on tomorrow," he said. "Olivia and Inigo, feel free to come if you want."

After they logged out, Lissa and Frederick got Owain to play with his cousins. He ran off and left the three alone.

"Wow, Chrom! Only almost twenty-four and the dad of five kids!" Lissa laughed.

"Techically I'm only the dad of one right now," he sighed.

"But still, it's funny," she responded. "Yui's looks like Robin, but with your hair and attitude. And Hiro looks just like you when you were that twelve, but acts like Robin when she first joined the Shepherds!"

It was true.

"But still, I can't help but feel sorry for them," Frederick commented. "Nine weeks in the real world is a year for them. And the fact that we can only be online for two days out of forty eight must be hard for them."

"I wish we could get them de-virtualized," Chrom said wishfully. "But the other children need to be de-virtualized as well. Olivia told me that they're being transferred here tomorrow in the real world."

"Finally some good news!" Lissa breathed out. "But sorry to break it, because we only have two minutes left."

Chrom nodded before seeing his children and Owain running toward them.

"Daddy!" The twins called out, jumping into his arms.

"I have to go now," Chrom said softly.

"I wish you didn't have to..." Hiro began to say. "But I know you have to. I'll become stronger while you're gone! I promise! For Mommy!"

"That's my boy," Chrom kissed his forehead.

"Hey!" Yui exclaimed in jealousy. "I'm going to train hard, too! So that we can all be a family!"

"That's my little girl," Chrom kissed her as well.

"I love you both so much," he told them. "I'll be back.""I love you too, Daddy," they both said, squeezing him tighter. He last felt their embrace before he automatically logged out, waking up and staring at the ceiling.

* * *

Author's Note: Happy New Year! I hope you all had a great time and that we can all look forward to this new year to learn from our mistakes of the past and taking our happy memories of 2014 with us. Sorry I haven't updated for a few days, I spent New Year in downtown Sydney. Long story short, it was crazy busy and tiring, I could barely breathe with all the people crowding the streets to watch the fireworks. I wrote the second half of this chapter on the plane, so hopefully this will be up when I can get wifi at the hotel. Thanks for reading and if you enjoyed, please do follow/favorite and review, it would mean a lot to me as a writer. Your feedback helps me to become a better writer and in turn, to help entertain you, the reader. Stay tuned for the next chapter!


	8. Part 1- Chapter 8

Review Responses:

NotSoGreatGamerGirl- Heehee, "busy" is one way of putting it! And thank you!

Silverbird22- Thank you! And you'll see~!

Ninja Spy- Wow, thank you so much for your thoughtful reviews! Okay, let's get started:

Yume means "dream" in Japanese, a nod to Dream Co., the company. And yay! OTP buddies! Honestly, I have a lot of children OTP's because I like their personalities, but I tried to stick with most of my favorites. For example, I like MorganXKjelle (especially if it's Chrom!Morgan because of the ChromXFeMU supps, although those could've been done better) but I also like MorganXNah at the same time. Decisions, decisions. Also, just to answer your question to clarify, I was kind of thinking that in the game they'd die and respawn in the last city they visited, kind of like Pokémon. And I've got some interesting things planned for this story! It's one of the most fun ones I've ever done, haha. I wanted to make the Shepherds lose because of a few reasons, one of them (not to spoil the story) of course, would be to not follow "the good guys win every single time" cliché and change things up a bit.

Also, thank you for your suggestion! I like how you said it in a kind yet concise way and didn't sound rude or imposing at all. Yes, it's one of my goals as an author to make my writing thoughtful yet lengthy so that my readers enjoy. But hey, there's always room for improvement, right?

And yes, that was a typo, I meant to say "to glow", lol. But I just noticed "who're" as looking like-er, another word. It is indeed a contraption, though! That one made me crack up in the middle of the airport!

Once again, thank you for your reviews and I hope you enjoy the rest of my story!

* * *

Robin woke up standing in the middle of her cage, her eyesight hazy. She looked around to see she was suspended in midair, nothing around her but darkness. The cage was much bigger, big enough that she could fit furniture in it if she pleased.

"Where am I?" She recalled her encounter before, how the fog had knocked her out.

Suddenly dozens of screens opened up around her within the cage, some of colorful cities and some of forests and caves, some of seas and skies. She hesitantly spun around to see that they were all around her, these images.

"... Am I in a game?" She thought. "And why do I have admin viewing privileges?"

Another screen appeared in front of her cage, one of a battle between two guilds. At first she couldn't see who was fighting, but upon closer inspection she thought she saw one of the players holding Falchion. There was no mistake, it was definitely the blade of legend her husband and daughter wielded. She reached her hand out between the bars of the cage to zoom in, recognizing Olivia, Frederick, and Chrom fighting a man in a black cloak and mask.

Chrom!

His clothes were a bit different than the ones he wore in FE:A, but still identical. She watched as he and Frederick fought the man, and gasped as Frederick fell, witnessing the masked man's weapon switch ability. At first she couldn't hear what they were saying before she turned up the volume.

"Where is she? What did you do to her?" She heard Chrom yell. "Tell me!"

"Who is he talking about?" Robin thought.

The masked man held his levin sword.

"What? That's my..." Robin stared at the blade. "Those thieves!"

They had probably stolen everything from her old inventory when he somehow captured her. That levin sword was hers, no doubt about it. It had the same handle and everything.

"Nothing she didn't deserve. It seems you're less daft than I thought," the man continued.

Chrom then charged towards his foe angrily. She knew that expression. She had seen it on his face when threatening Gangrel after Emmeryn had died. It was one of desperation and rage.

"Careful, prince, your emotions seem to be getting the best of you," his opponent mocked.

"What do you know about Robin?" The prince shouted. "Where is she?"

A shock was sent up Robin's body.

"Chrom! I'm here! I..." She called out, before she realized he couldn't hear her.

"He's looking for me..." She thought in relief. She looked over to the next screen to see Lucina and Morgan fighting another masked enemy before Morgan was slashed at and stabbed, disappearing.

"Morgan!" Robin yelled, mourning her little boy.

It was a matter of minutes before Lucina fell as well, her enemy teleporting and impaling her from behind.

"No! Lucina!"

One by one, the rest of them were all eliminated before Chrom was the only one left after Olivia died.

Suddenly the masked man with her sword raised it and activated one of his skills, three bolts of electric magic wrapping around Chrom, painfully electrocuting him.

"Chrom! No!" She screamed, seeing his agony. "Stop! Leave him alone!"

Robin found she couldn't move, her body suspended in the air, on the verge of tears. She watched in horror as his HP dropped to zero, and he shattered into pieces on the ground.

The panel closed itself, leaving Robin there in her grief.

"Nobody can save you, Robin," a voice said, echoing all around her. "Not even your precious husband."

She fought the tears that wanted to escape, before letting them go as she curled into a ball, hugging her knees.

"Chrom..." She sobbed.

* * *

Chrom tiredly took the AmuSphere off his head before placing it on his bedside and getting up. It was dinnertime now, and he was really hungry. He opened the door and walked to the nursery, where little Lucina was sleeping. The moment he peered over her crib, she opened her large eyes and held her arms out, beginning to cry. His little baby was almost a year old and was learning to crawl and walk.

"No, don't cry," he swept his child up in his arms. "Daddy's here now."

She immediately ceased and snuggled into his arms comfortably, making gargling noises until she began to fall asleep again. Chrom then started to lower her back in the crib slowly, but Lucina began to whine and kick.

"Alright, alright," he adjusted her in his arms so she was snug.

She once more contentedly rested as Chrom walked down to the kitchen to see Lucina and Lissa there, cooking dinner. They greeted him before he sat down and got Lucina to drink some milk from her bottle. It still hadn't quite sunken in yet that he had two more children. It was hardly believable that he was a dad when baby Lucina was born. Everything happened so quickly. And then, the older Lucina came. That was even more of a shock. At first it took some getting used to, but he did eventually grow accustomed to being called "Father". A month or so later, he had met Morgan. When he realized that he had yet another future child, he decided that two was nice; a brother and a sister to keep each other company. It did hurt him a bit that Morgan didn't remember him, but his son still loved him all the same. Now, he was presented with two more children. He felt way too young for this. But still, he couldn't help but feel bad for Yui and Hiro. Since one could only be online an hour per day, the game flow was much faster so that players could enjoy their game time. The twins, however, went through the course of a whole year in only a few months in the real world

In the middle of his thinking, Lucina began to start muttering random syllables, catching his attention. She began to start crying out for food, which Lissa had prepared for her.

After they were joined by Morgan, Owain, and Frederick, and talked over dinner. After, Chrom offered Morgan to help teach baby Lucina to walk.

"Aww, you were so pudgy and cute as a baby, Lucy!" Morgan gushed.

Lucina sighed and laughed at the same time.

"Thanks," she said as she scrubbed the dishes.

Morgan helped little Lucina to walk a few steps before letting her go to walk to Chrom, who stretched his arms toward her.

"Come to Daddy, Lucina!" He said, making the older Lucina smile.

Baby Lucina stumbled forward a few inches before crashing to the carpet, laughing as she fell. Her brother scooped her up, praising her before sending her off again. She fell halfway to Chrom the first few times before she finally collapsed into her father's arms.

"Good job, Lucina!" He exclaimed admiringly, the little girl giggling as he lifted her up.

"Da.. Da!" She laughed.

"Whoa, did you hear that?" Owain asked from his spot on the couch.

Morgan looked on in awe, Lucina, Lissa, and Frederick watching in anticipation.

"Dada!" Lucina said once more, causing Chrom to grin happily.

"Heh," he kissed her chubby cheek. "About time."

"I wish Robin were here to see this," he thought wishfully.

She crawled into his lap affectionately, exhausted from her attempts at walking.

"Okay, bedtime for you," he gave her a cup of milk again before tucking her to bed (crib) with a kiss. He told all the others that they would attend mass at the church Libra owned the next morning and meet him and Maribelle there before he went to bed.

Pulling the covers over him, he looked up at the ceiling.

"Robin..." He murmured softly.

Yui's resemblance to her was almost painfully so to him, not in a bad way, but because it reminded him of his missing wife. Dream Co. had promised they would do their best to find her, but so far they had no results.

He sighed deeply, remembering how his wife always brushed her long white hair that she usually kept in high ponytails on either side of her head before going to bed. It was one of the small things he missed in her absence.

Chrom was about to fall asleep before he heard a beep come from his AmuSphere. He placed it on his head and checked a message in his inbox that read on the blue screen.

"Good night, Daddy! - Yui &amp; Hiro"

What impeccable timing those two had.

"Thanks, love you both," he responded before he began to fall asleep.

The next morning he woke up and ate breakfast and took a shower before he, Lucina, and Morgan loaded into one car before Frederick, Lissa, and Owain went into theirs. They arrived at the church and were greeted warmly by Libra at the front.

"Chrom, everyone, it's so nice to see you," he said with a smile. "I'm sorry to hear about Robin."

Chrom nodded.

"Thank you," he said. "Is Maribelle here?"

"Yes, and so is Brady," He looked back towards the church. "They're inside at the moment. Shall we join them?"

They all sat down next to Maribelle, who wore a long pink skirt and a nice cotton candy colored top, while Brady was next to her and wore black pants and a purple sweater.

"Hey! How are ya?" Brady greeted them. "It feels like forever since I've seen ya'll."

"Oh, Lissa, darling!" Maribelle said in excitement. "It's so great to see you!"

They acquainted themselves before the mass started, at which they all quieted down. The service was about patience and faith, something Chrom needed. Libra's preachings sounded much the same as they did before, calm and soothing. After the mass was over, they all stood up and Libra joined them soon after.

"Great mass," Chrom told him with a smile.

"It's my pleasure," Libra replied.

Maribelle dusted her skirt off after standing up and adjusted her necklace.

"Libra, dear, why don't we invite Chrom and everyone else over for lunch?" She proposed.

"Of course," her husband replied. "But let me see our brothers and sisters off first."

Libra greeted all who passed by him with a cheerful smile and thanks.

"That was a wonderful service, miss!" A lady passing by said, causing the Shepherds to laugh before Libra corrected her patiently and kindly.

Maribelle gave them the address to her house, and they all drove there.

It was as grand as Chrom and Lissa's house, adorned with paintings and expensive furniture and lamps. However, she still had servants working there, unlike Chrom's family.

"Make yourselves at home," she instructed them. "We'll all have lunch 'soon as it's ready. Meanwhile, we can chat."

Libra and Maribelle lead rather impactive lives through their jobs, Libra in the church, Maribelle in politics. At home, though, their lives were simple and happy.

The children all watched TV in one of the rooms while the adults sat at the table and talked. Libra had moved in with Maribelle after he woke up, and Brady had been de-virtualized second to last before the machine stopped working. Chrom was about to begin telling them about everything happening in Yume Online when the doorbell rang.

"Oh, that must be Henry and Tharja," Maribelle said before she went to answer the door. A minute later she came back with Tharja, Henry, and Noire trailing behind her. Tharja wore a long black jacket over dark pants, while Henry wore a gray sleeveless jacket over his purple coat. Noire had a knitted green jacket and jeans, her eyes flitting around the house.

Tharja narrowed her eyes.

"Ugh, it's a shame I can't cook up any hexes in this world," she bit her lip. "If I could, I'd conjure one to wake Robin up."

At Maribelle's instruction, Noire went to go watch television with the other children while the two dark mages sat down.

"Nya ha! What a fancy house!" Henry commented. "Ooh, what's that?"

"No, no, no! Absolutely no touching of that lamp! It was just imported from- never mind, just don't touch!" Maribelle slapped his hand sharply, causing him to say "Owie".

The noblewoman ushered them into their seats, while Tharja glared at Chrom, her pitch black eyes threatening. Ever since he and Robin had become engaged, she'd been itching to curse him for capturing Robin'd affections. The only thing that stopped her was that Robin would hate her if she found out, which she probably would. The only other people who could cast curses and hexes besides her were Noire and Henry, who'd have no reason whatsoever to harm Chrom. She had found company in the "hale and hearty" Henry, one of the only people who she could truly trust, whose heart was even darker than hers. She didn't believe it was possible before she looked at it for herself. It turned out that they got along quite well in real life, too.

Noire walked into the large living room shyly.

"Umm.." Her voice trailed off as she looked around the vast space.

"Noire!" She was suddenly almost tackled by Brady, who held her close. "Oh, Noire, ya made it!"

"Brady!" The white-haired girl said. "It's so good to finally see you again!"

The violinist almost began to cry, sniffling.

"Huh? H-Hey! Don't cry!" Noire exclaimed, seeing him.

"I-I was just so scared for ya... Some of our friends couldn't make it out... If that happened to you, I'd..."

"No, it's okay!" The dark mage insisted. "... I just wish everyone else made it, too."

She sat down with all the rest of them, next to Brady.

Noire stood up to fix her seat before she stubbed her toe on the foot of the couch.

"BLOOD AND THUNDER!" She roared. "INSOLENT COUCH! HOW DARE YOU IMPEDE MY PATH? OBSERVE, AND FEEL THE WRATH OF AN IMMORTAL!"

"Noire, please calm down," Lucina placed a hand on her shoulder.

Noire took a deep breath in before letting it out.

"... Sorry," she sat down. "I still need to work on that."

They all watched TV until Maribelle sent a servant to get them for lunch.

Everybody sat down at the long table, being served steaming hot food. They all talked as they ate, filling each other in on their real lives. Tharja, Noire, and Brady were available on weekends to help search for Robin, the first especially willing.

"Once again, consider me your ally," Tharja laughed slowly. "For now."

Chrom sighed.

"Well, thank you for lunch, Libra, and Maribelle," he told them. "And it was so good to see you all again."

"Of course," Libra gave a sincere smile.

"Come back whenever you'd like," Maribelle said. "Well, not 'whenever', but you know what I mean!"

Chrom and his family left, returning home. Morgan was going to apply to a high school, while Lucina was tying to get into a college. The government agreed to make special amends for them as they were virtual children, but they were well-educated. Lissa was going to finish medical school, and Frederick was returning to his job as a police officer. Chrom, however, was the heir to his family's company, which owned and created the FullDive system. He was the head of the whole business, and had a lot of work to do once he got started. The temporary CEO of the company allowed him to have a month or two before he began working. Since all the rest of his family were all busy, he decided to play alone.

He laid down on his bed with his AmuSphere on, taking a deep breath.

"Link start."

* * *

He spawned in Cirria, at the spawn building. He walked outside and called Yui.

"Daddy?" She picked up.

"Hi, Yui, it's me."

"Oh, I missed you!" Her voice brightened.

"So did I," he smiled. "Where are you and your brother?"

"We're in Aldraun," she informed him. "Are you coming?"

"Yes," he began to open his wings. "I'll be there soon."

"Okay! I can't wait! I'll go tell Hiro! Bye!" the call abruptly ended.

Chrom laughed at his daughter's bubbly attitude as he flew towards Aldraun, which was two cities away, making sure to avoid the Grimleal's territory. He landed on the streets of the regal golden city, touching down carefully. The prince was about to message Yui again before he saw her running towards him, Hiro beside her. Yui's blue hair was now cut shorter, at her chest, and she wore her hair down. Hiro's hair had grown slightly longer, making him resemble his father even more.

Chrom held his arms open wide, the two twins jumping into them longingly.

"Daddy! You're back!" Hiro clung to him tightly.

"We missed you so much!" Yui said, hugging him like he was about to leave. "But we got stronger while you were gone! Much stronger! I think we could even take you on!"

"Oh yeah?" He asked. "Is that a challenge?"

"Yui!" Hiro protested.

"You bet it is!" Yui beamed. "And Hiro, this is the perfect chance to show Daddy how dedicated we really are!"

"... Oh fine," her brother gave in.

"Alright, let's duel outside the city, you two against me, if that's what you want," Chrom proposed.

"Let's do it! No holding back on either side!"

They made their way to the field outside the city and took their sides before Hiro sent the duel request. Chrom accepted it and set the duel mode to "Total Loss Sparring", a new mode they had added in Yume Online that allows the players to spar until one of their HP hits zero, however after the duel their HP is replenished to its original amount, good for sparring. They took their stances before the timer stopped. As soon as it hit zero, the twins lunged forward and attacked Chrom on either side. Although initially surprised by their perfect sync, he dodged their strikes and struck Yui, who blocked with her arm shield and pushed him back. The fact that she had such strength in her arm to even block his sword was impressive. Hiro then took the chance to jump above Chrom with his axe, which his father blocked skillfully before Yui managed to slash his leg. He stumbled back for a moment before dashing towards her, a critical activation occurring as he struck.

"Your end has come!"

Just as Falchion cut through her armor, he heard another skill activation to see an Astra mark over Hiro's head as he ran towards him.

"Take this!"

Chrom managed to dodge the first two and reflect the third one, however the last two hit him, one on his waist and the other on the rope holding his shoulder pauldron, causing his cape and armor to fall off. He skidded back on the ground, getting pushed back while Hiro returned to Yui's side, who was bleeding heavily.

"Heehee," she laughed. "You're really good, Daddy!"

"Thank you," he smiled. "The same goes for you both."

"You weren't going easy on us, were you?" Hiro asked.

"I wouldn't dream of it," Chrom replied honestly, drinking a concoction hastily. "Now let's get back to the fight!"

Yui's HP was a little under half gone, Hiro's nearly full, and Chrom's three quarters full. Yui had the most energy, while Hiro's was nearly depleted, and Chrom's half full. The battle could go either way.

Chrom ran towards the two, Yui chugging down a vulnerary before she and Hiro attacked at the same time, a skill activating simultaneously over both of them.

"Now we'll show you!"

Hiro's axe switched into a sword before they both stabbed him, Yui's sword in his torso while Hiro's was in his side. Chrom's HP dropped to 20/67 before he managed to impale Yui, her HP reaching zero. She disappeared before Hiro removed his sword from Chrom's side and fell back before his father landed the finishing blow, ending the duel. Their HP went back to normal and Yui respawned next to her brother, sighing.

"Aww... I really thought we could win that one!" She exclaimed, falling on the grass.

"No, it was evenly matched," he told her. "But I think you're just not completely used to fighting others yet."

"What do you mean?" Hiro asked. "We spar with each other all the time."

"Exactly," Chrom nodded. "You've fought with each other so many times that you know each other's moves and can counter them. However, in my case, you had to analyze my moves along the way and change your techniques according to them."

"Oh, I see..." Yui said.

"You two are definitely stronger and have better stats and skills than I do, but I have more experience," he summarized. "I fought different people on the battlefield every day, and I learned how to adjust."

He sighed, putting Falchion away and sitting down.

"That being said, you two are still really good!" He panted. "Better than some of the soldiers I fought in FE:A."

"You mean it?" Hiro asked.

"I do," Chrom ruffled his hair. "If you keep training hard, no doubt we'll find your mother soon."

Hiro smiled shyly, unused to such praise.

"Hm, but can I ask you something, Daddy?" Yui asked.

"Yes, what is it?"

"I noticed you don't have any activation skills," she fixed the strap of armor on her shoulder. "Are you planning on reclassing?"

"Well, I don't have any second seals or master seals," he said.

"Oh, we can give you some," Hiro piped up. "We're already in our final class."

"Hmm, come to think of it, you both were in different clothing the last time I was here," Chrom said.

"Yeah," Yui responded. "Last time I was a mercenary, and Hiro was a fighter. But we both promoted to heroes, and I'm pretty sure we won't be switching classes again."

The two both wore matching blue armor, however Hiro's shield was on his right arm instead of left because he was apparently left-handed.

Chrom pondered this, wondering if he should reclass himself.

"Wait, that skill you used before... Both of you used it at the same time. How did you do that?"

The two looked at each other.

"Well, I can explain how it works, but not how we got it," Hiro offered.

"What do you mean?"

"When NAGA sent us here, we both already had the skill. See?" He opened his menu, showing Chrom the skill. It was a picture of two swords parallel to each other, and the name of it was "Twin Blades". Under the info, it read, "Allows two units to strike as one."

"I see."

Hiro nodded.

"Basically, it does exactly what it says. It lets Yui and I combine our power to attack, but we both need to have enough energy and activate it at the same time," he explained. "It's a rare skill, but we still need to work on it."

"Yeah!" Yui stood up. "One day we'll perfect it and become the strongest!"

Chrom and Hiro both stood up as well, the former looking Yui in the eye.

"And what will you use that strength for?" He asked. "What is strength without purpose?"

Yui smiled warmly.

"I'll use it to bring back Mommy and protect everyone I love!" She beamed, her words echoing the ones Chrom once swore. The night after Emmeryn died, he had sworn that he'd use his strength to protect his kingdom and those who he cared about.

Suddenly there was a beeping noise, coming from Hiro's menu.

"Is it time?" Yui asked.

"Yeah."

"Time for what?" Chrom observed the alarm that his son turned off.

"The other players from FE:A are being transferred," Hiro said, closing his menu. "You should come with us, Daddy."

"Of course."

The three flew towards Junne, the city where the children were to be transferred. Upon arriving, they saw a large horde of fairies and fliers around the main building. Womem were simply called fairies, and men fliers, for some reason. Chrom peered over the heads of the people to see Gerome shooing them away.

"Back! Go away or I'll have Minerva eat you!" He said roughly, causing them to do so. The masked wyvern rider caught sight of Chrom and instructed his friends to follow him as they made their way through the crowd, with help from Minerva. Nah, Yarne, Kjelle, and Laurent all followed behind Gerome before they reached Chrom, Kjelle threatening to impale anyone who got too close while Yarne hid behind Nah. The crowd began to disperse after a while, much to their relief.

"Chrom," Gerome nodded.

"Gerome," Chrom replied before greeting everyone else.

"Hm? Who are they?" Yarne quivered from behind Nah, eyeing the twins.

"It's alright, they won't hurt you," Chrom sighed, feeling like he was talking to a toddler. "These are my twin children, Yui and Hiro."

Kjelle raised an eyebrow.

"I thought your wife was missing," she said.

"She is," Chrom responded. "They're from the future."

"Sir, I don't recall your having two more children in the future," Laurent adjusted his glasses.

"I know. It's... Complicated."

Hiro hid behind Chrom's cape while Yui bounced up to Nah.

"Hi! I'm Yui! What's your name?" She asked cheerfully.

"My name's Nah," she informed her before pausing. "N-A-H."

"Heehee! That's a pretty name!" Yui laughed. "Who's that behind you?"

"Oh, I think he's old enough to introduce himself," Nah stepped to the side, causing Yarne to flinch.

"Waahh!" He exclaimed, holding his arms in front of him defensively. "Don't hurt me!"

Yui shook her head.

"I don't wanna hurt you! I just want to know your name! And be your friend, maybe?"

After a second, Yarne put his arms down.

"M-My name's Yarne," he said. "It's nice to meet you... And sorry for getting all jumpy there. I am a rabbit, after all."

Yui's eyes lit up.

"A rabbit? Wow! You must be a taguel!" She looked him up and down like he was a toy at the store.

"Well, half, but yeah," he stammered.

"That's so cool! Can you turn into a rabbit for me?"

"W-What? Well, not here! People will think I'm a freak!"

Meanwhile, Chrom gently pushed Hiro forward.

"Hey, you should make friends with them like your sister," he encouraged him.

"Umm... I'm not good at making friends," Hiro said quietly. "I've never done it before."

It made sense. He had never had anyone but his sister for company before.

"Hey, there's a first time for everything, right?" Chrom insisted. "Just introduce yourself."

"... Okay," Hiro finally said, walking away slowly, towards Kjelle.

"Um.. Hi," the small boy said slowly, catching the brown-haired girl's attention. Hiro was a bit intimidated by her tall stature and bulky armor.

"Hey. You're Lucina's little brother, right?" She asked.

He nodded.

"Well, I guess you should know I'm dating your brother," she informed him. "Do you know where he is?"

"He's offline right now," he told her. "But he told me about you when he was buying me ice cream. He says he misses you."

That caused Kjelle to soften a bit.

"Does he now? Well, I'd like to see him soon," she said. "Would you mind asking him to visit me?"

"Okay," Hiro said. "But I think he'll come as soon as he finds out you're here."

"You do? Thanks, kid," she tilted her head. "Your name's Hiro, right?"

"Yes."

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Hiro," she held out her large armored hand, which Hiro shook shyly.

After they had all made acquaintances, Chrom added them to his friend list and the guild before he filled them in on the situation that had happened beforehand, and had the twins explain how they came to the present time.

"Hmm, that information seems to suffice as proof," Laurent examined the two. "For now, at least. But I'll have to verify it with some research."

"W-What? It's the truth!" Yui insisted.

"Don't mind him," Nah sighed.

The Shepherds all ate at a café and talked amongst themselves.

"Hey Kjelle, how did you and my brother first meet?" Hiro asked curiously, causing the girl to blush slightly.

"Gah, you make us sound like we're married..." She sighed. "But fine. Although he doesn't remember, we first met when we were kids. My mother took me to the palace and we became kind of like playmates, although I hung out with Lucina more at the time."

Hiro listened with undivided attention while Yui talked to Gerome.

"Your wyvern's pretty," she observed Minerva, who sat outside. "What's her name?"

"It's Minerva," he told her. "Now leave me be."

Yui frowned.

"Why do you have to be so mean?" She pouted. "Maybe some ice cream will make you feel better."

She spent the next ten minutes trying to get Gerome to eat some of her ice cream before they began to discuss guild matters.

"What are you all going to do while you wait to be de-virtualized?" Chrom asked.

"I think we should try to scrape some money together for the guild and look for Robin while we're at it," Kjelle suggested.

"Yes, that seems the most logical course of action," Laurent agreed.

"I'm in," Yarne said.

"So am I," Nah added.

"It's not like I've got anything better to do," Gerome sighed.

"Hey, would you all mind taking care of the twins while I'm gone?" He requested, but after seeing the two children's confused expressions, added, "Not that they can't take care of themselves, but I'd feel better knowing they're with you guys."

"Of course," Nah said. "We'll take good care of them!"

"Hey, you don't look much older than I do," Yui commented. It was true, as the two were about the same size and height.

Nah sighed.

"Oh, I might not look it, but I'm the same age as Yarne," she replied.

"Which is how old?" The blue-haired girl asked curiously.

"Sixteen," Yarne said.

"Whoa," Yui said in awe. "Well, I suppose in this world, I'm technically seventeen... But in the real world I'm supposed to be twelve."

A moment of stunned silence passed.

"... What?" Yui asked innocently.

"Yui, just how long have you been here?" Chrom looked at her.

She pondered that.

"About... Almost five years, within the game."

"... So you've been in this game for almost five weeks?" Her father asked.

She nodded.

"That's when NAGA sent us back. But since a whole real life year happens in one week, in the gameplay each year only represents a quarter year of the whole in-game year," Yui explained. "So one in-game year takes four weeks. But age is essentially calculated according to quarter years, which are closer to real life years, in which case Hiro and I would be seventeen if we aged."

The hero girl yawned, stretching her arms out.

"But I'm glad we're not," she said cheerfully. "I like being a kid!"

This made Chrom look at them in a whole different perspective. Each week that passed in the real world was a year to them. It must be tediously slow, considering they had to wait over a week in-game just to greet him "good night."

"... Oh," he finally said.

"Don't worry, Daddy," Hiro tugged on his father's arm with a reassuring smile. "We'll be fine."

* * *

Author's Note: Thank you, everyone, for your reviews, follows, and favorites! I'm also sorry for not posting sooner, I'm preparing to head back home from my vacation. The next chapter will be up in a day or two, depending on where you live. Also, I hope the cover image doesn't look too bad! I have another one I can use if you guys want. i spent like thirty minutes of the plane ride making them for fun, lol. Please leave feedback if you enjoyed, and stay tuned for the next chapter!


	9. Part 1- Chapter 9

Review Responses:

NotSoGreatGamerGirl- Haha, thank you! I wanted to make Hiro and Yui have contrasting personalities but still a close bond. And who doesn't love Chrom and baby Lucina? xD

* * *

Chrom spent the rest of the night at an inn in Junne, in the same room as Yui and Hiro. He laid in his bed, thinking of Robin. She occupied his thoughts like an infection. He was afraid the nightmares would come back if he went to bed. Suddenly he heard movement from behind him and turned to see Hiro standing there, a blanket in his hand.

"Hiro, what's wrong?" Chrom asked.

"... I can't sleep," Hiro began to cry.

"Hey, don't cry," Chrom beckoned him to come over, the young boy collapsing and weeping on his lap. "Now, tell me what's the matter."

"I-It's just that..." He sniffled. "When I first came here, I wanted to meet you and Mommy so bad. A-And now that I've met you, I get sad b-because I know you have to leave..."

Chrom comforted him, embracing his son.

"... I know," he said. "I'm sorry."

"I know that you have to go," he cried. "But I *sniff* wish you could stay."

"So do I."

Yui then began to stir in her sleep, waking up.

"H-Hey... Who's making so much noise?" She stumbled out of bed sleepily, crawling onto Chrom's bed. "What happened?"

Hiro quickly tried to wipe his tears.

"N-Nothing. I just couldn't sleep," he fibbed, causing Yui to frown.

"Don't pretend... I know how it feels, too..."

Yui rested her head on Chrom's shoulder.

"I'll miss you, Daddy..."

"I'll miss you, too," he replied, placing a kiss on her head before doing the same to Hiro.

"Do you miss Mommy?" Hiro asked, trying to blow his nose.

"Of course I do," he responded. "I miss her more than words could ever express."

"Heehee! I have a question! How did you and Mother first meet?" Yui questioned him excitedly.

Chrom began to blush a deep shade of red.

"W-Well, since I'm not around here everyday, I guess I can tell you," he sighed. "When we were in FE:A, Lissa, Frederick, and I were walking through a field when we saw your mother laying down on the grass. At first I thought it was weird, how out of all the places one could rest, she chose the middle of a field."

They both listened attentively.

"What was the first thing you said to her?" Yui asked, immersed in the story.

"Well, I said... 'There are better places to take a nap than on the ground, you know.'"

Hiro frowned, seemingly confused.

"And then what?"

"Well, she helped us to take down some bandits, and I let her join the Shepherds," he responded.

"And then you fell in love and had big sis!" Yui suggested, causing Chrom's cheeks to heat.

"Um..." he said uncomfortably. "It didn't quite happen like that..."

"Then how did you fall in love with Mother?" She listened closely.

"Well, I fell in love with her the moment I saw her," he told them. "Pretty cheesy, I know. But I didn't realize it until after my sister, your aunt, died. Your mother helped me at my weakest, and she showed me that you don't have to do everything alone. That was when I realized that I loved her."

"Aww, that's so sweet!" Yui gushed. "Now I have to find her so I can ask how she fell in love with YOU!"

"Come now, you make us sound like a pair of doting lovebirds," her father said in embarrassment. "Now, how about we go to bed now? It's pretty late."

"Alright," Hiro said, stretching. "But... Can I sleep next to you, Daddy? I don't wanna have nightmares again."

"No fair!" Yui exclaimed.

"Okay, you about you both sleep next to me?" He proposed.

They did so and slept on either side of him, clinging to him like he was a raft. In a few minutes, they fell into contented sleep. Their presence comforted him, and soon he found himself falling asleep as well.

* * *

The next morning they woke up and had breakfast with the rest of the present Shepherds before they decided to train and level up. They all paired up and began to fight in Total Loss Sparring mode, two on two. Yui and Hiro were on one side, while Nah and Yarne were on the other side. Chrom, Kjelle, and Laurent watched while Gerome went to another city to get more equipment.

"Alright, no holding back!" Yui said as soon as the timer started. "Let's fight with everything we've got!"

"If that's what you want," Nah pulled out a dragonstone from her inventory while Yarne fumbled to get a beaststone from his.

As soon as the timer hit zero, both Nah and Yarne transformed, the former into a dragon and the latter a taguel.

Yarne charged at Yui, who raised her axe. He lunged at her and attempted to kick her, but she nimbly avoided his attacks. Nah, who was the size of a barn, began to target Hiro, who opened his wings and began to fly. He soared, avoiding Nah's attacks while charging with his sword. The dragon was much slower to fly than Hiro, but much bigger. The blue-haired boy switched his weapon to a short axe and hurled one at Nah, hitting her stomach and causing her HP to fall slightly.

"Ugh, she's too tanky," Hiro thought to himself. "I'm gonna need Yui's help to finish her off."

"Yui!" He called out. "Switch!"

She nodded and sprouted her wings before he descended and began to face Yarne. The taguel managed to kick Hiro in the stomach, sending him flying back. Suddenly, Yarne began to clutch his stomach in pain when he saw Hiro's Counter skill over his head.

"Don't underestimate me!" Hiro yelled, a yellow skill activating. He slashed Yarne across the chest, healing himself with Sol.

"Gah!"

Yarne skidded back, kicking up dirt on the ground.

"Whew! You're really good!" He panted.

"Thanks, you too," Hiro replied.

Meanwhile, Yui flew around Nah, slicing her scales and causing her health to drop slowly.

"It's squashing time!"

One of Nah's wings hit Yui straight in the back, causing her to tumble down, her wings disappearing.

"Yui!" Hiro opened his wings and flew up, catching her.

"Ugh... I'm fine," she summoned her wings again. "We should end this before our wings disappear."

"Yeah."

They both drew their swords and faced Nah, who fired a barrage of attacks at them. They twisted and flew in the air gracefully, dodging all of them.

"Now!" Hiro called out, their Twin Blades skill activating.

"We'll mess you up!"

Yui's Twin Blades changed to an Aether, while Hiro's changed to Astra, and the two lunged at Nah at once, Yui stabbing her with Sol before striking again with Luna. Hiro landed all five attacks, the last one a critical. Nah's HP deteriorated to the red zone before their wings began to disappear, the twins retreating to the ground.

"Cover me!" Yui equipped a volant axe while Hiro fended off Yarne's attacks, before the hero girl threw it skyward, hitting Nah's leg and causing her HP to reach zero. Just before, the dragon fired a shot that hit Yui straight-on, the blue-haired girl shattering into pieces. Hiro grunted and began to slash at Yarne with his axe, who was careful to avoid his strikes. He didn't counterattack because of Hiro's Counter, putting him in a tight spot.

"... If I kill him now, Counter won't activate," Yarne thought. "I should finish this now!"

He rushed forward, a critical sound activating.

"Don't mess with a bunny!"

He bunny-kicked Hiro straight in the gut, Yarne feeling a sense of victory before he saw the Miracle skill over Hiro's head before it changed to Counter.

"Aww...!"

The duel was over, Yui and Hiro the winners. Yui and Nah respawned and everyone's health returned to normal.

"Yay!" Yui lifted Hiro off the ground, whirling him around like a teddy bear. "We won!"

"I know, I know! Please put me down!"

Nah extended her hand to both of them.

"That was a good match," she said, fixing her purple braids. "Although I was a bit rusty!"

Yui laughed and shook it, Hiro doing the same.

"I won't lose next time!" Yarne insisted before shaking their hands as well.

Suddenly, Minerva swept in, landing on the ground with Gerome on her back.

"Chrom!" He called out, jumping off her carefully.

"Yes, what is it?"

"I found a mission," he informed him.

"Alright, what is it?" he said.

"Very well," Gerome breathed. "Do you know the fairy king, Oberon?"

"Yes," Chrom nodded. "He's the one who's supposed to give out that special mission or something."

"Correct. When I was in town, I saw some flyers on the local bulletin about his wedding," he stopped. "They say whoever attends will be issued the mission."

"What's the mission?" The Exalt asked.

"Something about finding a rare item," Gerome pulled out the flyer from his pocket. "But the reward is at least 100,000 gold and the ability to use your wings for as long as you please."

"... That would certainly come in handy in finding Robin," Chrom scanned the flyer. "Alright, let's attend it."

"It's in two months here, which would be tomorrow in the real world," The wyvern rider said. "At approximately 6:00 pm. Do you think you can come?"

He nodded.

"Yeah," he replied. "Maybe I can get everyone else to come, too."

It was time for him to log out now. Since he had arrived in the morning yesterday, he was almost out of time.

"Bye, Daddy," Hiro threw himself into Chrom's arms. "I love you. I'll be waiting for you."

"Me, too!" Yui hugged him tight. "I love you!"

"I love you both, too," he kissed their heads before turning to the other children.

"Take care of them, all right? And stay safe!"

They all nodded before Chrom opened up his menu and logged out, waking up a second later. He checked his clock to see that it was around ten o'clock. Everyone else was probably asleep now. He took off his AmuSphere and hauled himself to his bathroom to brush his teeth and change before going back to bed, tucking himself under the covers. When he fell asleep, he found himself back in camp, in a tent with Robin. It was less of a dream and more of a flashback, as he recognized what was about to happen.

"Chrom, stop being so stubborn," she told him condescendingly. "My decision is final."

"No! You can't!" The Exalt yelled.

"I have to," her voice was calm. "We both know that."

"No, you don't. You don't HAVE to do anything!" He pounded his fist on the desk angrily. "Robin, I won't let you!"

"Listen to me, Chrom," she held his face, forcing him to look her in the eye. "Think about it. The future Lucina and all the others came from. How Grima ruined their lives and destroyed the world... Would you wish that on even your worst enemy?"

He broke her gaze and looked down.

"No, but..."

"..."

"Think about our baby back at the palace. Think about Lucina and Morgan, and... And me. We all need you!" he insisted.

She shook her head sadly, turning her back to him.

"Chrom..."

"Don't give me that," he spun her around and held her shoulders. "Don't act like you have to do this! Just let me finish off Grima!"

"Chrom, I'm despicable!" Robin suddenly bursted out, on the verge of tears. "I ruined everything! It's my fault! I killed you! I killed everyone! I made Lucina and the other children miserable! I'm a monster! I deserve to die anyways!"

She sobbed into his shoulder before he pulled her close to him.

"... You're wrong," he said. "You're not a monster. Grima did all those things, not you... And that was in the future. Don't you think this time around we can change things? We already have."

"I..."

"I'm sorry for yelling at you like that," he said. "I just... I love you too much to let you go."

"I love you too, Chrom," she sniffled. "... But I'm still going to do it."

His heart fell.

Robin saw his solemn attitude and placed a soft kiss on his lips.

"Hey, Naga said that if our ties were strong enough, I could come back," she reminded it.

He embraced her tighter.

"They are strong," he declared. "I know they are."

"Then I'll come back."

She rested her head on his chest.

"... Thank you, Chrom," she said. "You've made me so happy. The happiest I've been since you found me lying down in that field."

"Not nearly as happy as you've made me," he replied, kissing her forehead.

He woke up the second he did, the sunlight shining through his window.

"She'll come back," he thought to himself. "Even if it takes me the rest of my life... I'll find her."

The rest of the day was a blur. Olivia, Lucina, Morgan, and Severa were able to play with him and attend the wedding for the mission. Chrom went out to buy some groceries before visiting Robin, bringing her new flowers. He held her hand and fixed her hair before he heard someone walk into the room. It was Jay, her pale face flushed from the cold.

"Oh, hello," she greeted him. "Chrom, right?"

"Yes," he responded. "And you're Jay?"

"That's right," she took off her hat and placed it on the table. "I was just going to check to see if Robin's NerveGear's still working fine."

"I see," he observed. "Do you play, as well?"

Her eyes widened in shock.

"Oh, no," her expression was one of fear. "... I'm afraid after my sister became trapped within FE:A, I developed somewhat of a... Phobia, I guess you could say, of VR."

"Really?" He asked. "But you seem to know so much about the FullDive system."

"I do," she informed him. "I used to work for the company that produced the FullDive technology, but that was before the FE:A incident happened and FullDive, namely the NerveGear, was given a bad name. They let a lot of people off. I was one of them."

She shook her head.

"Ever since, I haven't entered VR. Just the thought of it scares me."

"Oh," Chrom placed the flowers down.

"By the way, how did you meet my sister?" Jay asked curiously. Her resemblance to Robin made her in turn look like Yui, a weird thought.

"I met her when we were in FE:A," he told her.

"And you got married?" The dark-haired girl guessed.

"Um... Yeah," Chrom responded awkwardly.

"Ah, now I see why you were so eager to see her," she smiled, her voice bubbly. "Although I never really knew her, she's the only family I've got left."

Chrom wanted to question her more about that, but he decided against it.

"I should be going now," he let go of Robin's hand, placing it back down on the bed gently. She looked exactly the same as she had when he first found her outside of Southtown, her features calm and peaceful.

"Alright. Take care," Jay saw him off as he left, buttoning up his jacket.

He came home and ate before he, Lucina, and Morgan logged into FE:A to attend the wedding. Lissa, Frederick, and Owain all decided to stay behind and work on school and their jobs.

"Link start."

Chrom spawned in the Junne spawn building, where he saw Yui, Hiro, and the other children waiting outside.

"Daddy!" The two twins hugged him once more as they always did.

"Hey, I missed you guys," he kissed them both.

Lucina and Morgan soon joined them, greeting their younger siblings.

"Lucy! Morgan!" Yui greeted them. "I missed you!"

Hiro was much more silent about his greeting, but still glad all the same.

"Um... Hey, Kjelle," Morgan approached her shyly.

"Morgan. You kept me waiting," she smiled.

"I know, sorry..." He stammered.

"You're forgiven," she began to laugh. "Your little brother's quite the charmer, isn't he?"

"Hiro? Heh, I suppose so."

"Anyways, that aside, I missed you," Kjelle sighed. "It sucks I couldn't be de-virtualized. Tell me, what's the real world like?"

"It's amazing, actually!" Morgan's eyes lit up, beginning to explain in detail his experience of it.

After a minute, Severa spawned as well, in her mercenary clothes.

"Ugh," she brushed out her long hair with her fingers. She ran outside to meet with all the others, noticing Gerome's reddened face when he saw her.

"Well?! Are you just gonna stand there staring at me all day or what?!"

"Severa..." His voice trailed off.

"Oh, you idiot!" She pulsed forward, throwing her arms around him. He returned the hug.

"I missed you," Gerome finally said after a few seconds.

"I missed you too," Severa replied. "And if you cheat on me, I'll rip your eyebrows out with pliers."

"I wouldn't dream of it," he responded calmly.

"We should get going now," Chrom announced. "Olivia said she would meet us at the wedding."

They all flew to Pallas, the main city of Yume Online, where the palace was. The city was bustling with people, however fortunately for them Olivia had saved them all seats. She waved them over.

"Hello," Chrom greeted her. "Is Inigo not with you?"

She shook her head.

"He went out with his father," she sighed. "I just hope Virion doesn't take him out to flirt with girls."

Chrom laughed. "I should hope not."

The Shepherds all took their seats, sitting down on the white chairs outside the palace balcony. Chrom was so distracted by the crowd that he didn't see when the king and his bride walked out.

"Father...!" Lucina gasped.

"Lucina? What's wrong?!"

"... It can't be. That's... That's Mother!" Morgan looked up at the balcony fearfully.

Chrom's stomach churned as he gazed up to see her standing next to Oberon, her eyes distant and cloudy. He didn't dream of seeing her like this. He was at a loss for words, which stuck in his throat.

"... That's Mommy?" Yui asked in shock.

"What's she doing with the fairy king?" Hiro narrowed his eyes.

Robin wore a white top with a red ribbon and a long matching skirt, her long white hair growing down to her knees. Her brown eyes sadly shifted around the crowd, her misery apparent to Chrom. It made him furious, enraged. Who was doing this to her?

"Robin!" He yelled. He couldn't contain himself. However, she couldn't hear him over the loud crowd of people.

In his anger, he bolted up from his seat and opened his wings, startling those around him.

"Robin!" Chrom called out once more, flying up towards the balcony. Her face lit up when she heard his voice, as if waking up. She looked his way, and their eyes met.

"... Chrom?!" The white-haired tactician said in disbelief.

"Fools! Stop them!" The fairy king belted angrily, grabbing Robin's arm roughly.

Suddenly, a shadow appeared behind Oberon and he fell over, disappearing. Chimera emerged from the darkness and held her lance to Robin's throat.

"Don't move," she spoke commandingly.

Chrom reached the balcony to see the masked woman holding his wife at lance-point in horror.

"Heh. You were always too late," Chimera smirked, stabbing Robin in the gut, shock and pain on the tactician's face. Her body shattered into pieces, causing Chrom to fall to his knees in numbing defeat.

He heard a sinister laugh from inside the palace and saw Ryū walk out, axe in hand.

"All clear," he turned to Chimera.

"Good," she responded.

"What did you do to her?" Chrom demanded. "Where is she?"

"Don't worry, she's alive," Ryū taunted him. "We won't kill her... Yet. We're still planning on having some fun with her before we do."

"You..." Chrom gritted his teeth, imagining all the horrible things they'd do to her.

"Enough idle chatter," a commanding voice said from the roof of the palace, his black cape flowing in the wind like a flag. He jumped down swiftly and landed as steady as a cat.

"Your so-called King Oberon is simply another admin abusing his power," Mirage informed them, standing on the rail of the balcony. "He claimed to give you a mission at this wedding, did he not? Observe!"

On cue, several Grimleal used silver axes to cleave into the tiles of the plaza. Once the dust cleared up, the people were shocked to see a layer of bomb spells implanted in the ground under the tiles. Whoever had cast the spells only had to simply chant the incantation and the thousands of fairies and fliers in the horde would have all died, dropping the last item in their inventory. A wave of gasps and murmur rose up, only for them to be silenced by Mirage.

"So you see, it was all just a ruse," the red eyes of his mask shone like rubies. "A trap. If not for us, all of you gullible fools would have had your items robbed of you."

A silence passed over the crowd, the realization of his words sinking in.

"Hmph. Stop groveling like it's the worst day of your life," he snorted. "This is a good day. The day where the players of Yume Online will stop being terrorized by these abusive and conniving admins. Some of them are in hiding within this game, keeping a low profile to avoid suspicion. But we know. We know how you use your admin powers to grief other guilds and kill whoever you please."

"But no more!" Mirage declared. "This palace is ours now. And we will use it as our headquarters to hunt down those who wish to ruin this happy game!"

A cheer rose up from the crowd.

Mirage, satisfied, turned around and entered the palace, ignoring Chrom as Chimera and Ryū trailed behind him.

"No, wait," Chrom stopped him. "What are you going to do with Robin?"

Mirage looked back.

"Frankly, her life is in the right hands. It's best you know nothing. Unless you want a rematch?"

Not waiting for an answer, he foraged into the palace, Ryū shutting the door behind them.

The rest of the Shepherds flew up to the balcony to see Chrom on his knees on the ground.

"Father..." Lucina and the rest of his children comforted him as he sobbed silently, remembering the words that Chimera spoke.

"Heh. You were always too late."

* * *

Author's Note: Heehee, I re-watched Legend of Korra season four and I just had to add a Kuvira reference, lol. She and Azula are my top two villains of Avatar simply because of their badassery. That aside, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Just a note, I'm planning on making the first part of this fic maybe fifteen to twenty and the second part another fifteen to twenty. Anyways, as always, feel free to leave a review, follow, and/or favorite if you're liking this story so far!


	10. Part 1- Chapter 10

The rest of the Shepherds left Chrom and his family on the balcony for a while, leaving the five alone.

"... I let her die," he finally said. "I wasn't quick enough. I was too late."

Morgan shook his head.

"No, Father. It's not your fault," he told him. "They were going to kill her anyways."

Yui turned into her pixie form and flew towards Chrom's face, kissing his cheek.

"Mommy looked so happy to see you, Daddy," she sat down on his shoulder. "I think she knew you wanted to save her."

"But I failed," he tried to wipe his eyes. "Over and over, I keep on letting her slip away..."

"... No. Something was off," Lucina began to say. "Why would Mother willingly marry that admin? Surely she wouldn't do it unless she was bribed or blackmailed somehow..."

"What do you mean?" Hiro asked.

"From what I can gather from the situation, I can only assume that Mother was somehow captured by that admin and can't log out. If he really has the power to do that, then I don't know if it's in our might to save her."

Morgan thought on that.

"I can't imagine she'd marry him of her own volition, either," he said. "Like you said, Lucy, I think she's being forced somehow. But I can't say exactly how or why."

Anger bubbled up from within Chrom. The thought of Robin marrying another man, being the mother of another person's children was sickening to him. It made him furious when he saw her up on the balcony next to Oberon. So furious that he wanted to kill him.

"I think he might have some history with Mother," Lucina deduced. "Although I can't say if she regained her memories after leaving FE:A, we don't know anything about her previous life in the real world. It's possible he..."

Her voice cracked.

"It's possible he was her... Lover."

Chrom shook his head, pounding the stone ground.

"No," he clenched his teeth. "No, he wasn't. If he was, Robin wouldn't have looked so dejected and empty like that. She looked miserable. There's no way she could have loved him."

Lucina's words rang within him, making him want to vomit. He wanted to tell himself it wasn't true, that it wasn't a possibility, when in reality it was. But he didn't want to believe it.

"That's true," Hiro said. "I didn't feel like she held any affections for him. In fact, I felt hatred... But I also felt guilt, and sadness."

"What do you mean?" Morgan asked. "You can feel those things?"

He nodded.

"Well, Yui can turn into a pixie and open data information of the game, but I can sense the emotions of those around me and look into their memories if they recall them. I suppose that's why I'm so quiet most of the time; I'm always sensing what others are feeling. I knew Mommy was... Well, Mommy, when I saw her because of how she reacted to seeing Daddy. I sensed her heart fill with happiness, and hope. And love."

Chrom perked up slightly.

"... What did Oberon feel?"

"He felt..." Hiro shuddered. "Lust. Longing. And jealousy. He also felt a sense of satisfaction, and power, probably for his admin privileges."

The first word ignited a spark in Chrom, making him angry all over again. He'd learned how to control his emotions over the years of war, but when it came to Robin, he couldn't help himself. She was his other half. Seeing her hurt was like watching another part of him being stabbed.

"Isn't that illegal, though?" Yui asked. "Sure, I don't know much about the real world, but I'd assume that virtual kidnapping is a crime!"

"It is," Lucina knit her brows. "Perhaps if we report this to the game executives, they can do something about it.

"That sounds like a good plan," Chrom stood up. "Let's do it after we log off."

"You're leaving now?" Yui asked.

He shook his head.

"No, not yet. I wouldn't leave you that early," he smiled. "We still have two days to spend together. I wouldn't want to waste them."

The twins beamed and they all flew down to join the others, who were waiting outside the plaza. They decided not to ask questions and flew towards another forest to gain some levels. On the way there, Morgan flew closer to Hiro.

"Hey, um, Hiro? Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, what is it?" Hiro responded.

"Well, you said before that you and Yui could do special things," he began to say. "Why is that?"

Hiro shook his bangs out of his eyes.

"When NAGA sent us here, she knew that GRIMA would delete her the first chance he got," he explained. "So she decided to give us some of her cybernetic abilities so that GRIMA couldn't take them from her. Yui received data access, while I received emotion sensory. I guess she thought those were two of the most important things she had control over."

Morgan's eyes widened.

"So basically you have the powers of an AI?"

"Well... Something like that. But since we're not AI's, we can only use them to a certain degree. For example, Yui can only access the database of the game or program she's in, not all of them. And I can only feel the emotions and see the memories of those around me, not everyone on the network. So in short, we can only use them on a smaller scale."

"Ah, I see," Morgan said. "... So, you wanted to know more about Mother?"

Hiro's eyes lit up.

"Yeah! I... I've always wanted a mom. I don't even know what it's like," he looked down at the forest below. "I always hear people saying that their moms are calling them, telling them to come back to the real world for lunch or dinner. But I've always... Wondered what it feels like."

"Well," Morgan smiled. "In my future, before I got sent back in time and lost my memory, I remember when Mother and Father left. They both went back to the real world, but Lucina and I, along with the others, all stayed behind. Back then, the de-virtualization machine wasn't fully developed yet and we stayed there for years. But Mother would always video message us and tell us about the real world... She was always worrying about us. She told me that she wanted to come back for us, but the CEO's of the company owning the game wouldn't let them. And then... One day, it all changed. Mother was going to use the AmuSphere at the hospital to finally see us in FE:A after she finished a gaming session with one of her patients, but... GRIMA deleted the whole game while she was inside of it. She... Died. I had never seen Father so miserable, so upset and angry. He vowed to avenge her, no matter what. Then he helped to buy us time for NAGA to launch the time travel program before he died, too..."

He sighed.

"I want to see that my father of that time's wish comes true. That we won't let her die again," Morgan looked his brother in the eye. "Having Father and Mother back was one of the best things that ever happened to me. I won't let anyone take my family away again."

"... I want that, too," Hiro finally said. "Before, the only family had was Yui. But now, I have you, Lucina, and Daddy too. Now I want to meet Mommy."

He looked up to see Lucina flying alongside Chrom, talking to him about something he couldn't hear.

"Lucina seems really close to Daddy," he observed. "She feels very... Protective around him."

Morgan looked at them as well.

"Yeah, she's always been like that," he reflected. "In the future, within the game, our memories were altered so that Grima of the game took control of Mother's body and killed Father. Ever since then, Lucina became extra protective around him when we came back."

"... She tried to kill Mommy after that, didn't she?" Hiro asked after a pause, causing Morgan's eyes to widen.

"How did you know?"

"When Lucina saw Mommy, she felt happiness and joy, but then that was all washed out by guilt. I could feel it strongly. I wondered why at first, but then I saw the memory that surfaced in Lucina's mind. I saw her... Pointing her sword at Mommy."

Suddenly they began to descend towards the middle of the forest, following Chrom.

They touched down before Morgan continued the conversation.

"Hiro, listen to me," he placed his hand on Hiro's slightly spiky blue hair. "I know it must be hard for you, seeing all these bad memories, but please, trust me when I say that our family bond is woven tight. And you're family. So you can tell me anything, okay? I'm your only brother, after all! I think, at least..."

Hiro smiled slightly, a rare sight, in contrast to his twin sister, who wouldn't be caught dead without a grin on her face.

"Alright, I will," he agreed. "... And I see good memories, too, sometimes. While Daddy was sleeping one night, I saw his dream. He and Mommy were sitting together and talking in a library. They were smiling and happy."

"Well, we should make some good memories for you to see with your own two eyes!" Morgan proposed, equipping a tome. "Now let's do some leveling!"

"Yeah!" Hiro equipped his axe. "Although Yui and I still have to work on our skill."

"Oh, okay. Can you join me after you two are done?" Morgan asked.

"Okay."

Hiro found Yui cutting down a small weed, giving her a mere five gold.

"Hey, Yui? Let's practice now."

She turned around.

"Okay!" She beamed. "Well, first, we have to start by making sure that we can attack our target in sync. Let's try it on that big Venus Flytrap."

Hiro nodded, and the two leveled their swords at the monster. They charged towards it, Twin Blades activating as they ran, opening their wings.

"It's over!"

Both Yui and Hiro's Sol activated, and Yui stabbed the creature's head while Hiro whirled around and severed its neck.

It roared and hissed, spitting out filthy slime before shattering, granting them each fifty gold.

They both landed near the front of where the creature once was.

"Hm, I think we're getting a lot better!" Yui laughed.

"Yeah," Hiro agreed quietly, in his normal tone.

His sister elbowed him playfully.

"Aren't you excited? We're a step closer to finding Mommy!"

"... We are?"

"Yeah! Once we give those Grimleals a beatdown, they'll have to spill some info on her!"

Hiro pondered that silently.

"Hey, Yui, can you check the player list?" He asked.

"Huh? What for?"

"Just do it, please."

She opened up the database and scrolled down the player list.

"Hiro, what exactly am I looking for here?"

"Look for the name 'Robin'."

"Robin? Isn't that Mommy's name?"

"It is."

Yui got to the "R" section and then to "O".

"... She's not here!" The girl exclaimed. "I don't see her name!"

Hiro narrowed his eyes, looking at the list.

"Something's not right here. We saw her in the game, but she's not on the player list. That can only mean she's either not on this server or she's been externally classified as something else."

"Daddy said she didn't have external access to her account, so there's no way she could have left Yume Online. But why would she be externally classified as something else? The only reason that could happen if..."

She gasped, her brown eyes widening.

"Hiro! The fairy king Oberon was an admin, remember? That guy in the mask said so," she recalled. "That can only mean he's behind this! He forced her to marry him and locked her account so she can't log out!"

Her brother nodded.

"Yeah, that makes sense."

Yui curled her lip in frustration.

"Argh! Who does he think he is?" She cut through the trunk of a tree, leaving a long slash mark. "He can't just do that! Daddy's her husband, not him! I'll make sure he pays for this!"

Hiro sighed.

"I know how you feel. But right now, it's over our heads. At the moment the best we can do is train and get stronger," he told her. "Speaking of training, I promised Morgan I'd level with him after we practiced. Do you mind?"

She shook her head.

"No. I'll go train with Lucina, then," she beamed, before bouncing off. "See you!"

Hiro allowed himself a tiny grin before meeting up with Morgan, who took down a fern monster with a steel sword.

"I've never seen you use swords before, big brother," Hiro said after the tactician finished.

Morgan noticed him and smiled, wiping sweat from his forehead.

"Really? The tactician class can use swords as well as tomes," he informed him. "I've just always been better with magic."

Hiro observed him.

"Oh. I've never been that good with staves or tomes," he said. "Yui and I are better at using physical weapons."

"I see," Morgan said. "Well, how about we take down some monsters together? And maybe talk?"

"Yeah!" Hiro agreed excitedly.

Meanwhile, Yui searched for Lucina, who was sparring with Chrom. The hero girl noticed they were both using the same sword before she checked the database for info. Interestingly, her father's "Exalted Falchion" was exclusive to him, while her sister's "Parallel Falchion" was exclusive to her as well. She then noticed that the fight was over, and Lucina had lost.

"Damn," Lucina grumbled before being helped up by Chrom.

"You're getting stronger, Lucina," he said. "Your mother would be proud of you as well."

At that, Lucina smiled before taking notice of Yui.

"Yui? Do you need something?" She asked.

Yui smiled before she approached them.

"I wanted to train with you," she said. "Do you mind?"

"No, of course not," Lucina informed her before looking up to Chrom. "Is that alright with you, Father?"

"Of course," he said, examining the two. "You two sisters should bond, after all."

"Thanks, Daddy!" Yui exclaimed before running off, holding Lucina's hand and dragging her.

"Whoa, Yui! You've got a strong arm!" Lucina observed.

Yui giggled a thank you before stopping near a big tree.

"Here's a good spot! A lot of big roaches and spiders spawn here, and they give a lot of exp. and gold!"

"R-Roaches?" Lucina's eyed widened in fear, slowly backing away.

"Yeah! They- Uh, where are you going?"

"I'm sorry, Yui, but roaches are off the table, I- EEK! YUI! PUT THAT DOWN!"

"What? It's adorable! I think I'll name him Pony. Wanna see?" She held up a baseball sized roach in her gloved hand, offering it to Lucina.

"YUI! NO! KEEP THAT AWAY FROM ME! STAY BACK!" The princess screamed so frightfully that she didn't notice when Chrom ran up to them from behind, Falchion in his hand.

"Lucina! What's wrong? I heard you screaming," he said puzzledly, to see his two daughters staring at him, Yui with a large brown insect in her hand.

Chrom sighed, putting down his sword.

"Daddy, look what I caught! His name's Pony!" She held the roach close to his face, so close he could smell its awful stench.

"Urgh... Uh, that's great, honey," he said, attempting to distance himself from the insect.

"You don't seem very excited," Yui pouted. "Sure, it's not the cuddliest creature, but it's cute in it's own way, don't you think?"

Chrom smiled before patting her head affectionately.

"You really do take after your mother," he said.

"I... I'm sorry, Father," Lucina apologized, hanging her head down. "I must've worried you and could have caused some trouble."

Her father placed a hand on her shoulder comfortingly.

"No, you're alright, Lucina. You should be able to act like a normal teenager from now on," he told her. "You've gone through too much, and you deserve some rest."

"... Thank you, Father. For everything. Even though I'm not your real daughter, you've still taken care of me all the same. But I'm inevitably going to have to leave home one day," Lucina responded sadly.

Chrom frowned.

"No, you don't," he said. "You don't have to leave. We've already gone over this, Lucina. You and your mother talked about it as well, right? You will always have a home with us. Always. You're our daughter, no matter from what time. And family have to stick together... So don't even think of leaving us again, okay? For the sake of your real mother and father."

"Oh, Father, I..." She embraced him longingly.

It lasted a few seconds before they heard Yui's scream.

"Lucy! Daddy!" She exclaimed, being grabbed by a giant hawk the size of a library bookshelf. "Help!"

"Yui!" Chrom and Lucina called out before leaping up and opening their wings, chasing the large hawk. It was much faster than them, and the gap was getting bigger. Yui struggled to wriggle out of the talons' grasp, but they cut into her chest armor, leaving her dangling dangerously. The two began to tire before two more figures shot out of the forest, one firing an Arcfire ball and the other hurling a volant axe. The axe traveled much faster and nicked the hawk's wing, hindering the bird before the fireball hit it straight in the stomach, causing it to drop Yui, who was unconscious from the impact and bleeding heavily as the talon remained in her flesh. She tumbled down from the sky motionlessly before Chrom caught her just as she approached the treetops, landing carefully, followed by Lucina, Morgan, and Hiro.

"Yui! No! Come on, stay with me, " Chrom urged her, holding his inert daughter in his arms. The large talon, which looked like a long and hooked dagger, was embedded in her armor, stabbing her precariously close to her heart. Much to his surprise, her brown eyes were open and looked into his blue ones, their bright cheerfulness replaced by dull murkiness.

"Pa.. -raly...zed..." She breathed heavily.

"You're poisoned, too!" Hiro dropped to his knees, placing his palm on his twin sister's forehead. "She's burning up!"

"I'll go get Aunt Lissa and Aunt Olivia," Lucina said, opening her wings again and flying off hastily.

Yui then began to stir, coughing roughly. To Chrom's horror, virtual blood spilled out from her mouth, and her HP fell to the yellow zone.

"We should get the talon out," Morgan observed the wound.

"Do it," Chrom held her head desperately. "Please don't die, Yui, please don't die..."

"D-Da... Dad-dy..." She murmured, causing Chrom to hold her hand.

Morgan carefully held the edge of the talon and pulled it out of her side gently and armor, crimson rolling onto the grass as he removed it.

"... Wait, there's something inside the bone," Morgan said curiously, observing the inside. Inside was an empty player poison vial with the mark of the Grimleal on it, and a small piece of paper with it, sending chills up his spine. "Oh no..."

He handed it to Chrom, who opened it, his hands shaking in rage.

"A friendly reminder that getting stronger won't help you one bit. Robin is ours now. Unless you want to lose your children, as well."

In his fury, he shouted and pounded the ground. First, they take his wife, and now they hurt his daughter. This was too much.

Soon Lucina was back with Olivia and Lissa, who flew down and ran to them as fast as possible.

"Yui!" Lissa called out frantically. "Don't worry, Aunt Lissa's got you!"

"Let me clear her statuses her first," Olivia said, holding her hand out over Yui's wound. She opened her mouth and began to sing a short, beautiful and enchanting song that lasted about ten seconds, the yellow glowing words wrapping around her arm and curing Yui's paralysis and poison.

"Olivia, singing is an ability in this game?" Chrom asked.

She nodded.

"I was so focused on dancing that I realized I haven't been singing for a while... So when I checked my stats, I found out that singing can cure status conditions," she informed him before looking down to Yui. "But enough about me, she needs help!"

"I'm on it!" Lissa held her Mend staff, chanting the incantation for a healing spell.

Immediately the wounds closed, leaving only a gash in her side and a hole in her armor. Hiro took his sleeve off and used to wipe his sister's face while Chrom held her tightly.

"Olivia... Lissa... Thank you so much... If anything happened to Yui, I'd..." He couldn't hold back the tears any longer, and they spilled onto Yui's collar.

"D-Don't cry, Daddy," she said, her voice still hoarse. "I'm okay now."

He buried his face in his hands.

"I'm a failure as a husband and a father," he said dejectedly. "I can't keep anyone safe. Not Robin, or even my own children."

"No, you're not!" Yui suddenly exclaimed. "You're the best daddy in the world! If you give up now, nothing will ever change! I don't care how many times I have to get stabbed, I'll get Mommy back no matter what!"

"Yui, that's..." Hiro said quietly. "... You know who did this, right?"

She shook her head.

"Who? ... I couldn't hear much. The poison made my hearing fuzzy," she said.

Hiro narrowed his eyes, clenching his fist.

"It wasn't Oberon who took Mommy," he gritted his teeth. "It was the Grimleal the whole time. They were using him as a scapegoat to make themselves look like the heroes."

"What? What do you mean?" Lucina asked.

"They said they stood for rebellion against admins who used their power for their own gain within Yume Online, right? They used Oberon as an example to show the many players attending the wedding that the fairy king was taking advantage of his admin rights, while in reality, they themselves have admin privileges as well."

"Huh?" Yui said. "But they..."

"They're the ones who have Mommy," he concluded. "Which means Oberon was likely a part of their scheme to gain dominance over Pallas."

Hiro turned to Chrom.

"Daddy, you have to go now," he said. "You're wasting time here. You have to report this to the Internal Affairs of Dream Co. If you don't, it'll likely become harder to get Mommy back."

"But... You and Yui..."

"We'll be fine, Daddy," Yui smiled.

He took a deep breath.

"Alright. Come here, you two," he pulled them both into a big embrace. "I love you so much. I couldn't be prouder of you... Take care of each other."

After the twins said their goodbyes to their siblings, relatives, and friends, Chrom and the others logged out, waking up in the real world, where they would bring the fight from the virtual one.

* * *

Robin sat, levitating in her cage again, the images of Yume Online spinning around her in an endless cylinder. The last she remembered, she had been stabbed by a masked lady and woke up again here. She recalled the conversation she had with Oberon before the wedding.

"You look beautiful, love," he stroked her long white hair, twirling it through his fingers.

She flinched away.

"I'm not your love! And I'm not marrying you!" Robin pushed him back.

After he regained his balance, he smirked.

"Oh, but you well," he chuckled, opening up a screen in front of her. "Because if you don't, we'll eliminate the ones you truly do love."

The screen showed a hospital room, with someone in a bed... It was her! She was still hooked up to the NerveGear, in her hospital room. And at her side was Chrom, holding her hand, with Lucina and Morgan sitting on the other side of the bed, arranging flowers for her. It made her want to cry out of happiness. Her family had made it back to the real world. Then the realization dawned on her.

"... No, you... Can't," she choked. "You can't kill them."

Oberon held her chin, forcing her to look him in the eye.

"I can and I will," he told her threateningly. "Unless you agree to marry me."

Her heart shattered. It felt like someone dropped a weight in her stomach.

If she didn't marry him, her family would die for the sake of her own life. If she did, they could live... Forever separated from her.

He grabbed her face, hovering his mere inches away from hers.

"You can't win either way," he placed his lips in front of her ear, sending chills down her spine. "You might as well try to play the hero role while you're at it."

Her eyes filled with tears.

"... What's your choice?"

"... I..."

"... Come again?"

"I'll... Marry you."

"Say it louder."

"I'll marry you," she said grudgingly, causing a satisfied and sinister smile to manifest itself on Oberon's features.

"Smart choice, my dear Robin..." He purred before leaving, causing her to break down in tears, cursing at him and at herself for being so weak.

* * *

Now she was in the same position again. Weak, powerless. At the mercy of others, forced to do their bidding for the sake of her loved ones.

Suddenly someone teleported into the cage, standing in front of her.

"You...!" Robin exclaimed, stepping back. In front of her was the masked lady, her white mask contrasting against the black of her cloak.

"Don't worry, I'm not here to hurt you," she said, pulling down her hood and shaking out her long black hair before removing her mask.

"What?! Who-?" Robin examined the lady's face, identical to her own.

"Allow me to introduce myself, sister," she said. "I'm your twin, Jay."

Robin's brow furrowed.

"I have a sister?" She asked.

Jay turned up her gloved palms.

"Hey, I didn't know either until just recently, too," she shrugged. "Mom took you when we were babies. We were separated at birth, literally."

Keeping cautious, Robin began to question her.

"You know about Mom?"

"Hardly. I stayed with Dad my whole life, you know. You've met him, right?"

Anger rose up in her chest.

"MET him? He tried to force me to become the body host of a demon dragon within FE:A!"

Jay sighed.

"Yes, well let's just say I was never fond of him either," she spat, her features cross at the thought of him. "You see, the only reason he wanted kids was so he could see if we were capable of being transferred to the cyberworld permanently."

"Permanently? He wanted to transfer our consciousnesses on the internet?"

Jay nodded.

"Exactly. You see... In your daughter's future, they believed you died when GRIMA the AI deleted the server you and your patient were in. But in truth, GRIMA took over your consciousness and transferred your it over to the network, meaning your body was left behind in the real world. This made the doctors believe you were dead. GRIMA needed a host to survive for good on the cybernetwork, and he used your virtual body and mind to hack into NAGA's network so he had control over the entire virtual world."

Robin gasped silently, words stuck in her throat.

"... Why me? How come he didn't make you do it?"

Jay frowned.

"You were the only one who was physically capable of it. So it's only natural Dad would want to pay more attention to you," she explained. "But Mom saw that and took you in the middle of the night. Ever since then, we've been separated... Until now."

It all sank in.

"Wait, then why are you doing this?" Robin asked. "Why are you keeping me here?"

Her sister shook her head.

"Look, Sis, I'm trying to get you out of here," she whispered. "So far I think I'm doing pretty well. I learned how to be a good actor around Dad. Just remember... Whatever happens, I'm on your side!"

"Wait! You can't log me out?" Robin questioned her.

"No, I'm afraid not," she sighed. "I only have moderator privileges, not admin. But I have a plan. You just need to go along with whatever I want you to do, okay?"

"... Alright," Robin finally agreed.

After a few seconds Jay wrapped her arms around Robin silently, yet comfortingly.

"Wait, Jay, do you know who Oberon is IRL?" She asked.

Jay nodded.

"Yeah, I do," she paused. "And I'm sorry about the whole wedding thing... But it had to be done."

Robin looked down.

"Could you tell me his name?" She asked again hopefully.

"It's... His name is Jin."

Robin's eyes widened.

"... No," she gasped. "Not Jin. Anyone but Jin."

* * *

Author's Note: And scene! Sorry for not posting for a while, I just started going back to school *crais*. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and if you did then please leave some feedback! Stay tuned for the next chapter!


	11. Part 1- Chapter 11

Review Responses:

Lopmion- 12: Thank you! I personally like Lucina's support with her sibling the most with Morgan (with Cynthia a close second, lol), so I decided to include that here. Stay updated for more chapters!

NotSoGreatGamerGirl: Yes, I did intend for that to be a Summer Scramble reference, haha! And as for Jin, you'll see...! Thanks for your reviews as always!

GuestWithIdeas: Wow thank you so much for your review! I personally like long reviews, and yours is packed with great ideas and feedback, hence your name, lol. I can't answer to some of your review because I don't want to spoil much of the plot, but I will say that you'll definitely see that Hiro and Lucina scene and Jin's relationship to Robin soon. Also, don't hesitate to ramble in your reviews, I tend to do it sometimes too, haha! Again, thank you and I'll update when I can!

* * *

Jay teleported to the small personal sever where Robin was being kept, remembering their conversation from the other day.

"You know Jin?" Jay asked, somewhat surprised.

Robin's brow furrowed.

"... That's putting it mildly, but yes, I know him," she said. "He talked to me when I first woke up here. But he was using a different avatar that looked more like himself in the real world."

"That would be his main account," Jay told her. "He was the person in the red mask."

"Red mask? But he came right after Oberon was killed," Robin thought aloud.

"He had his other avatar ready and used his mods to teleport within the palace after he died, and turned off the respawn timer and set the spawn point to just by the door," her sister explained.

"That would explain how he pulled it off," Robin pondered. "Wait, so who's the other man in the mask? Mirage, was it?"

Jay sighed, shaking her head.

"I honestly don't know. But he has some history with you, it seems," she informed her. "He was the one who brought you here."

"History?"

"That's what it looks like so far. He's the only one out of the three of us with admin abilities. He was recruiting people to join the Grimleal, and at first I thought he had something to do with Dad, so I investigated. It turns out that after FE:A was beaten, he pulled you out of that server and into this one. By then I had already become a high ranking member of the guild and Mirage began a mission to take your husband and children out, as well as the rest of your friends. I suspect he's planning on making you GRIMA's host once more.

Robin gasped.

"No! I..."

"Don't worry," Jay placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'll make sure to strike him when the time is right, and then I'll be able to log you out. Just wait a little longer, alright?"

Her sister nodded.

"Yeah... And thank you, Jay. When I get back to the real world, let's hang out, okay?"

Jay smiled.

"Of course," she replied. "See you later."

"See you."

* * *

Jay was going to ask Robin some more questions about Jin before she gasped, seeing her sister gagged, her arms tied behind her back and unconscious on the floor of the cage as the spinning pictures revolved around her.

"Robin?!" She gasped before she heard Mirage's chilling voice echoing around her, creeping down her heart.

"You've betrayed my trust, Jay."

* * *

Chrom immediately dressed himself and piled into the car with Lissa, Lucina, and Morgan before he drove to Dream Co. Headquarters on the snowy road. They went to the manager of Internal Affairs and spoke with the man, telling him about the situation.

"Are you sure about this, sir?" He asked uncertainly. "Our administrators are only in the game to supervise players."

"No, I'm sure of it," Chrom confirmed. "I saw her. At least a thousand other players saw her, too."

The man pursed his lips.

"Very well. I'll report this to the game master and receive an answer from him. Please give me your contact information so that I can reach you when I get news."

He did so and they drove back home. On the way there, Lissa spoke, cradling baby Lucina in her arms.

"Do you think they'll really be able to find her?"

"... They better," Chrom responded absentmindedly. Ever since he had almost watched his daughter die in his arms, he was more determined than ever to end all the pain and suffering that admin had caused both him and his family. He had stolen a mother away from her children, and a wife away from her husband. Chrom was so used to always having Robin at his side that he began to take her for granted, not realizing what life without her would be like. Now that he did know, he wanted her back more than anything. And his twin children, too. Hopefully they'd be able to come to the real world and meet Robin. They deserved as much.

After a then silent drive back to the house, Chrom sat in his kitchen, on his phone. Suddenly it began to ring, and he picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Chrom, it's Jay," her familiar voice said urgently. "Look, I don't have much time, but you have to listen."

"What? How did you get my number?"

"Never mind that! If you want to save Robin, then listen to me!"

"Save her?"

"Yes," her tone was rushed. "Mirage is going to launch GRIMA's program in a few days. It's almost complete. When he does, he's going to force Robin to become his host so he can take over her virtual body and live on the network forever."

"His host? You mean like in the game?"

"Exactly. But this time, it's in real life, and the consequences will be much more severe. Worse than they were in your daughter's future."

"... How do I stop him?"

"You have to break his mask. Our masks are what hold our skill and class modifiers. Normally, it'd be impossible to break, but your Falchion is the strongest sword in the game. If you manage to break it, his stats will drop and he'll lose all his skills, and more importantly, you'll be able to see his face. After his mask is gone, he won't be immune to status conditions, so you can paralyze him and use his arm to log Robin out."

"... Wait, you said 'our' masks?"

"My in-game name is Chimera. Sound familiar?"

"You?! You're Chimera?!"

"Correct. But don't worry, I'm on your side... Or more precisely, your wife's side."

"... Alright. Thank you," he said.

"This is for Robin," Jay declared before her voice began to get crackly and disappeared.

"Jay? Hello?" He asked, but she was gone.

"Father, who was that?" Lucina asked after a few seconds, stepping out from the shadow of the wall.

"Eavesdropping, young lady?" He sighed.

"I'm sorry, I..."

"Never mind, Lucina. It's alright. I know you mean well," Chrom sat down. "But if Internal Affairs somehow fail to get your mother back, we can get her back ourselves."

Her eyes widened.

"How so?"

He explained everything Jay had told him.

"Worse than my future?" Lucina frowned. "How could she know?"

"I have no idea," Chrom shook his head. "But you should go to bed now, Lucina. It's getting late."

"Alright, Father," she said. "Good night."

The princess began to walk away before Chrom called her back.

"Yes, Father?" She replied, walking back to where he was seated.

"No good night kisses? Or a hug?" He smiled, and she returned it before longingly embraced him, and he kissed her head.

"I love you, Lucina," he said. "You'll always be Daddy's little girl to me."

"Oh, Father... Thank you. I love you as well," she rested her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes.

"Hey! I want good night hugs and kisses!" Morgan pouted from down the hall, running towards them, causing his father and sister to chuckle. The tactician boy joined the hug, and Chrom kissed him as well.

"Alright, you two, it's time for bed," he told them. "And Morgan, you start school tomorrow. You should go to bed early."

"Okay. Good night, Father!"

* * *

"Attention, class. We have a new student joining us today. His name is Morgan Ylisse," Mr. Kole said, introducing the blue-haired teenager. Morgan wore his uniform, a white button up shirt with blue lines on the collar and a red tie, with matching trousers and black shoes.

After the brief introduction, he sat down at his desk near the front. Gosh, why did he have to be at the front? He'd much rather sit at the back where he could divert attention from himself. It was odd, considering he was one of the only virtual children in existence. Of course, all the teachers and the principal knew about it, but none of his peers did. He had never attended school before, even within FE:A. He and Lucina had been tutored in the subjects of education, including Ylisse's history, which did him no good here. After the class, he went to his locker to get his other books for his next classes. The next subjects, geometry, science, and English passed without issue, much to his relief. The concept of going to school was a new and fascinating one to him. He was enjoying it until fifth period, which was P.E. There were so many kids, a lot of them bigger than him. He felt intimidated, to say the least.

"Wait, what am I worried about? I fought a war, for crying out loud! I shouldn't let something like this get me down," he thought.

It didn't come as much of a surprise to him when he was picked last on his team. Unlike Lucina, he didn't look very strong or intimidating. She had a gaze that could cut titanium and a strong, sturdy yet small frame, while he looked like he had been sitting in a library his whole life, which in truth, he kind of had.

They all went to opposite sides of the gym before the gym teacher blew the whistle, signaling for them to all head for the dodgeballs at the middle of the court. Morgan was too slow to get one, and stumbled back before a boy on the other team began taunting him.

"Hey, new kid!" he shouted. "I wonder how far you can throw with those chicken arms!"

A laugh rose up from even people on Morgan's team, causing the tactician boy to feel dejected a bit.

The large boy hurled the ball at Morgan, who was about to dodge it when a girl with short white hair jumped in front of him and caught it.

"BLOOD AND THUNDER!" she roared before chucking it back at him unnecessarily, the impact so strong that he fell to the ground as it hit his stomach.

"Serves him right," another voice said from next to Morgan.

"Severa? Noire?" he asked. "You guys go here?"

"Yeah, any complaints?" Severa snorted, flipping her black hair over her shoulder before hushing her voice. "All of us do, actually."

Morgan's eyes widened.

"Everyone? I haven't seen them," he said.

"Well neither had I, before I saw Noire in the locker room. This school's pretty big, you know. I heard from her they wanted us all to go to the same school so they could monitor us or something like that."

"... Oh," Morgan pondered on that. "I had no idea."

"Ms. Severa and Ms. Noire, you're both late," the gym teacher informed them.

"IMPUDENT MORTALS!" Noire ignored him and grabbed another ball from the hands of a boy on their team. "WATCH AND SEE THE MIGHT OF AN AVATAR OF RETRIBUTION!"

She aimed for a group of girls huddled near the back, the people in front of them scattering.

"TO THE ABYSS WITH YOU!"

The girls managed to run just in time to avoid the ball, which bounced on the wall of the gym and hit one of them in the back, causing her to fall.

Before Noire could terrorize the opposing team any further, Severa calmed her down, causing the dark mage to shrink back to the edge of the court.

Severa managed to get a ball and threw it at a boy on the other team, who dodged it.

"I bet your mom can throw better than that!" he yelled before tossing it back at her. Her face flashed with irritation as he had hit a sore spot, Morgan cringing at Severa's reaction.

The mercenary did a backflip and landed on her feet as the ball hit the ground before grabbing it again and running forward, chucking it with all the force of her arm.

"_Don't compare me with my mother!_" she yelled and hit him square in the chest. He stumbled back, grunting.

"Huh," Severa smiled, satisfied. "Hey Noire, when I said 'Calm down,' I didn't mean 'Sit in the corner and do nothing'."

"No, I'll just stay here..." She replied softly. "So tired..."

The mercenary sighed.

"Oh, yeah. Anemia. Right."

Noire nodded before a ball flew at her, causing her to scream with a loud "EEK!" and dodged it swiftly.

Morgan caught on of the other team's dodgeballs and threw it back, hitting someone's leg.

"Hey, you're kinda good at this!" Severa commented. "Who would've known? I mean, compared to your girlfriend, you look like a skeleton."

"I- Um... Thanks?" Morgan responded.

After parting ways with Severa and Noire after P.E was over, he went to the bathroom and heard a familiar voice humming from the sinks. He turned the corner to see his teal-haired friend at the sink, washing his hands while humming a tune.

"Inigo?" Morgan asked.

"Gah!" The dancer blushed, turning around. "M-Morgan! You heard me?"

"Well... Yeah."

"Ugh, how embarrassing..." He sighed. "So, friend, how are you enjoying school so far?"

"It's pretty good so far, besides the fact that Noire almost slaughtered the other team during P.E..."

"She did? Heh," he laughed. "Anyways, do you have lunch next period?"

"Yeah. So does Owain," Morgan explained. The two cousins only shared periods during lunch and history. According to Severa, all the virtual children were in the same history class so they could all learn about the history of the real world together.

The tactician and mercenary-dancer (an odd combination) made their way to the lunch room and saw Owain sitting alone at a lunch table in the corner, snarfing down the sandwiches Lissa had prepared for him before he saw his friends approach the table.

"H- Hueay! Urnuhgoh! Mohrghan!" He called out, his mouth full.

"Owain, weren't you raised in the palace of Ylisse?" Inigo asked, sitting down with a sigh. "Surely they'd have taught you some, uh... Manners, there. My mother told me Aunt Maribelle taught her table manners."

Owain swallowed his food.

"Of course I was," he said. Ever since they had come to the real world, Owain began to speak normally, but with his colorful vocabulary all the same. "But I was just so hungry, you know? School is tiring! Even more than training!"

"Don't say that," Inigo frowned. "You know it's really not."

"Well, at least during training my sword hand can be put to good use! During class, it's all just sitting down in one spot and writing! How can you expect that to satisfy the insatiable hunger my sword hand holds?"

Inigo was about to answer when Owain felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around to see Cynthia with a big grin on her face, a large pink backpack slung over one shoulder. She wore the girls' uniform, very similar to the one for the boys but with a cropped blazer and a skirt, with a red ribbon instead of a tie and long socks.

"Hiya, Owain!" She greeted him. "Hello, Morgan and Inigo!"

Owain moved over to make room for her, though there was plenty. Cynthia bounced to her seat with such hyper energy that her orange pigtails swished in the air.

"Oh, thank goodness I have the same lunch period as you guys!" She sighed. "Brady's in my geometry class, but that's it!"

She opened her sack lunch bag eagerly, pulling out a huge bagel the size of her hand before biting into it, smearing the tip of her nose with cream cheese.

"... How can you eat that much?" Morgan asked in surprise.

Cynthia shrugged, wiping her face with a napkin.

"I have quite the appetite, you know! Especially for sweet things!" She then grabbed a handful of truffles from her bag and gave each of them one. "Heehee, my dad packed these for me! But I don't mind sharing, of course!"

She popped one of the chocolates in her mouth, savoring the creamy and sweet taste.

"I wonder if this is why you're so hyper," Morgan wondered aloud, tasting the candy.

"Well, I guess you could say that," Cynthia unwrapped another truffle.

"... Wow, this is actually really good," Inigo said in surprise.

"'Actually'? What were you expecting, blobs of mud and dirt?" The pegasus knight frowned.

"No, it's just... It tastes better than the sweets in our original world. Not that we could really indulge them, though," he pondered.

Cynthia began to chew slower.

"... Oh. I guess I see your point," she said. "I wish the others were here to experience it."

That dulled the mood for a moment before Owain spoke.

"Don't worry! They will, soon," he declared. "As soon as they fix that machine, they'll be back here in no time!"

His optimism lightened the atmosphere and they began to talk again, about happier subjects. Soon after, they dispersed to go to their other classes and during last period, were gathered with the rest of their friends. Morgan walked in to see Brady there, who wore the same scary expression he always did, with his scar and all. His friend's face lit up at the sight of him.

"Morgan!" He called out.

"Hey, Brady," The tactician responded, sitting down at the desk next to him. "I saw Noire during P.E today. She's in the same class as me."

"What? She is?" Brady grunted before a look of concern appeared on his face. "Wait, she okay? I'd hate if anythin' happened to her..."

Morgan began to laugh, much to Brady's surprise.

"... What's so darn funny?" He questioned.

"Haha... It's just that... You should be asking if the other team's okay!" He bursted into another fit of laughter, causing Brady to chuckle lightly.

"Heh! Noire beat 'em to a pulp?" He smiled.

"Yeah! It was actually pretty terrifying, now that I think about it," Morgan recalled.

At that moment, Cynthia and Noire walked into the room, Noire excitedly running over to Brady.

"Hey, Noire!" He greeted her happily. "We were just talkin' 'bout ya, actually."

"Huh? About what?" She asked.

"Oh, it's nothing," he laughed. "Anyways, how've ya been holding up so far?"

"Well, pretty good, I guess..." She replied before Inigo, Owain, and Severa filed into the class.

"Ah, good to see all of you are here," the teacher said, approaching them. "I wanted to let you know that after class I've give you each a historical timeline book of our country's history. Please study it, and I'll go over it with you in a week."

They all agreed and took their seats, in the general vicinity of each other. It felt strange. So this was what it was like to be at school. Ever since Morgan came to the real world, he had watched shows with Owain and Lucina about school. In all honesty, some depictions of school scared him. But Lucina convinced him that it wouldn't be so bad in reality. It turns out, it wasn't. He was starting to enjoy the real world.

* * *

"Mother, who's that?" A ten-year old Robin asked, hiding behind her mother.

"That's your new stepbrother," she nudged her daughter forward, towards the boy. "He's about the same age as you. Go on, make friends."

Robin inched forward hesitantly towards the brown-haired boy, who looked back at her shyly with grass green eyes.

"Um... I'm Robin," she said quietly. "What's your name?"

After a few seconds, he stepped out from behind the tree.

"My name's Jin."

* * *

Author's Note: And scene! I know I'm updating a lot slower than before because of school, but I'll try to update as soon as I can. Also, OMG NEW FIRE EMBLEM GAME CONFIRMED DID YOU SEE THE TRAILER I'M SO EXCITED! Okay, lemme calm down. But whenever a new game comes out I'm like "Lemme play it so I can write a story lol". Anyways, any predictions? I'd like it if it was a sequel or prequel to Awakening because I love that game so freakin' much. *cough*Chrom'sfather*cough*. That aside, enjoy your weekend and stay tuned for the next chapter!


	12. Part 1- Chapter 12

Review Responses:

NotSoGreatGamerGirl: Haha, I'm glad you're enjoying my story! And don't tell anyone, but I keep my book full of cliffhangers under my bed. xD

* * *

"Welcome home, Morgan," Chrom greeted his son as he walked in.

"Hi, Father," Morgan replied, setting his backpack down and flopping onto the couch tiredly.

Chrom looked over from the island where he was doing work for his job to see his son sprawled out on the cushions.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"Just a little... Tired..." Morgan's muffled voice said from the couch.

Lucina walked down from the staircase and stood above him somewhat loomingly before lifting him up and examining him.

"Wha-? Lucy, what are you doing?" He asked, startled.

"Checking for bruises, scratches, scars, and the like," she squinted, inspecting his face intently. "Did anyone hurt you?"

"Huh? No!" Morgan told her, but that didn't stop the princess from continuing to scan him.

"Hmm..." Lucina finally finished, crossing her arms. "It doesn't look like you've sustained any injuries. But if you do, then give me a name and they'll wish they were never born!"

"Um... Okay," Morgan's voice trailed off.

"Don't worry about it too much, Lucina," Chrom approached them. "I'm sure Morgan can take care of himself."

"Well, one can never be too sure..." She responded quietly. "I don't want to take any chances. Not anymore, with all that's happening..."

"I understand, Lucina, and I'm thankful for that, but he's at school, not the battlefield."

Lucina was about to protest before Owain opened the door and fell flat on his face, a loud thud echoing throughout the house. Chrom and Lucina scrambled to carry him to his bed while Morgan hastily filled a small bag with ice and placed it on his cousin's forehead to help with the bruise forming there. His mother was at medical school, while his father was working at the police station. After half an hour, he began to wake up.

"Hand... Hungers..." He mumbled.

"Owain, what was that?" Lucina demanded. "We were worried sick about you!"

He flinched at her angry tone before observing the ice pack on his forehead.

"Well, the last I remember, I told Morgan he could walk ahead of me, and then I opened the door," he said. "I take it I fell?"

"'Fell' is putting it mildly," Morgan told him. "You should be lucky your skull didn't bust open!"

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry..." He apologized. "It's just that school is exhausting! Sitting in a chair for nearly an hour at a time can really drain you, you know?"

Lucina sighed and went to get another ice pack while Morgan began to do his homework, and he and Owain studied their history book together. This wasn't very different from studying back in their world, except their history book was a metal file holder that held holographic pages. It was actually pretty cool how it was designed, so that the pictures could become 3D images.

He remembered how he and his mother would do this, reading books together in the library of the palace of Ylisstol about anything from history to fairy tales. It made him sad as he wondered where she was now, and if she okay. His aunt had promised to keep her safe, but that was his only reassurance.

"Morgan?" Owain asked, hitting his arm lightly.

"Huh? Sorry, I was just... Thinking," he replied.

"... You're thinking about your mother, aren't you?"

"I, um..." He sighed. "Yeah. I really miss her. I just hope she's alright."

"Of course she is! Your mother is the most brilliant tactician in the world! Surely she has a plan," Owain reassured him. "Don't worry, dear cousin, I'm sure she's doing fine."

"I hope so," Morgan replied, perking up a bit. "Now let's get back to studying!"

* * *

Robin walked into her room to see Jin there, sitting on a bed in the once-vacant corner.

"Mommy!" Robin ran downstairs back to the kitchen, where her mother was preparing lunch. "Why is he in my room?"

Her mother turned around to see Robin with a big pout on her slightly chubby (at the time) face, her large brown eyes staring up at her.

"Darling, you'll have to share a room with him for a while," she smiled down at her daughter.

"But he's a boy!" Robin protested.

"Hey, I have to share my room with a boy, too," her mother reminded her.

"Well yeah, but you're adults!"

"Alright, but just get along with him, Robin. He's a nice boy, you know," she returned to chopping her vegetables before she heard the door open.

"Welcome home, dear," she greeted her husband.

"Hello, Asuka," he responded with a smile. "Hello, Robin."

"Hi, Daddy!" Robin hugged her stepfather. He was everything she could possibly want in a dad. She hadn't grown up with one. Apparently, her parents had separated when she was little. Her mother, Asuka, had married her stepfather Shinji a few months ago after years of dating, and just recently they moved in.

"How did the interview go?" Asuka asked.

"Great," Shinji replied, removing his jacket and hanging it up on the coat rack. "They said I'll start work beginning next week."

"That's wonderful!" The two shared an embrace before Jin walked downstairs shyly.

"Jin, why don't you go draw on the sidewalk with your sister?" Shinji proposed.

"Okay," the boy replied quietly.

Robin grabbed the chalk bucket from the closet and goaded Jin to come with her, opening the bucket and handing him a blue piece of chalk.

"Alright, what are you gonna draw?" She pulled a green piece of chalk from the bottom of the bucket and proceeded to start drawing.

For a while, Jin simply watched her, observing the tree she sketched out on the pavement.

"Well?" Robin asked him again. "Don't you think this is fun?"

"I do, but... I've just never been good at drawing," Jin muttered.

"So?" His stepsister frowned. "Just because you're not good at it doesn't mean you shouldn't do it."

After some hesitation, he picked out a white piece of chalk and began to squiggle out the lines of a cloud, causing Robin to grin.

"See? You're not so bad at this after all!" She told him. "You're actually a really good artist!"

"Thanks," he smiled slightly. "I actually like doing this kind of stuff."

She bumped him with her elbow teasingly.

"Heehee, I think that's the first time I've ever seen you smile!"

"Oh... Yeah, I guess."

"Hmm... Maybe I won't mind sharing my room with you after all!" She laughed.

* * *

The years passed by so quick. Over time, the two grew so close to the point where it felt like they were blood related. However, their bond began to fall apart when they were eighteen.

"Diving again?" Jin asked, walking into their small and somewhat cramped room that they shared for more than eight years.

"Yeah," Robin responded, placing the NerveGear on her lap.

Jin sat down on his bed, adjacent to Robins's, looking at her.

"Sometimes you're using that thing for hours at a time," he told her. "I'm starting to get worried about you."

"You're always worried about me," she laughed. "I'll be fine."

"No, that's not what I mean..." His voice trailed off. "It feels like you're not even here anymore when you're using the NerveGear."

"Well, technically I'm not..." Robin responded.

Jin sat on her bed, next to her.

"Robin... What's so special about that world that makes you like it even more than this one?"

"A lot of things, actually," Robin replied matter-of-factly. "There are things there that I can't do here."

"... Are you seeing someone?" Jin questioned her, staring her dead in the eye.

"Well, I've made a few friends, but not one specific person," she told him confusedly. "Why do you ask?"

"Because I'm worried if someone there you care about hurts you, that maybe then you'd-"

"Don't be ridiculous. I'd never do something like that."

"You never know."

"Yes I do," she reassured him.

Jin sighed deeply before kissing her forehead and embracing her. He then stood up, digging through his closet to find his jacket.

"I'm going out," he told her.

"This late?" Robin frowned.

"Party," Jin replied.

"You don't want me to come with?" She asked, concerned.

"No, it's fine," he told her. "Just stay here. I'll be alright."

He headed for the door before Robin stopped him, grabbing his arm.

Jin looked back in confusion before Robin kissed his cheek.

"Be careful," she warned him.

"I will," he responded surely.

She smiled and hugged him. A few years ago, he had gotten taller than her. It was strange at first, but she eventually got used to it.

He hugged her back as she rested her head on his collarbone.

"Alright, I should go now," he said before leaving.

Robin laid down in her bed, NerveGear on, after watching him leave from the window. She took a deep breath and let it out.

"Link start."

* * *

Jin continued to attend parties nearly every week on a monthly basis, and soon Robin was the one who began to become worried about him. One night, he was about to leave when she stopped him outside the door.

"Robin?" He asked.

"Jin, you've been going out a lot lately," she told him sternly. "And you come back awfully late."

"I..." His voice trailed off, Robin sensing guilt.

"Is there something you're hiding from me? You haven't been talking to me much, recently."

"No, I'm not," he fibbed.

"You're a horrible liar," she said. "You never did that to me before."

"Robin, just..."

"Just what?"

"Just leave me alone. Please," he refused to meet her eye.

"Jin, you know I can't do that," she held his face. "Please, tell me what's wrong."

To her shock, he pushed her hand away.

"... I can't."

Her eyes widened.

"Jin... Have you been smoking? ... And drinking?" She asked in disbelief. His breath smelled like cigarettes and his jacket like beer.

At that, he turned away and ran towards his car. She yelled for him to come back, but it was icy outside and she didn't have any shoes. She watched in horror as he drove off hastily.

Robin waited in the living room for two hours for her parents to come home from a dinner they were attending with friends. But they didn't. Robin was pondering going after Jin herself, but she had no idea where he was. At around two in the morning, she got a call from the police.

"Hello?" She picked up the home phone hastily.

"Hello, this is the police station," the voice at the other end of the line said. "Are you Robin Validar?"

"Yes, that's me," her voice was panicked, her heart falling down to her stomach. "What's going on?"

"... I'm sorry to say this, but your stepfather is dead, and your stepbrother is in the hospital."

At first, the shock of the words stunned her, rendering her unable to speak, all the words stuck in her throat. She wanted to scream. She wanted to cry. She wanted to punch something in frustration. But most of all, she wanted to collapse on the floor out of sheer grief. And that, she did.

* * *

Visiting Jin was almost as sad as her father's funeral had been. Her mother had decided to stay at a friend's house over night, while her father had apparently seen Jin's car driving on the road and attempted to follow him, but Jin's car suddenly crashed into his, killing Shinji Ryū. It was confirmed that Jin had been intoxicated while driving. Robin cursed herself. How had she let this happen? She should have watched over him better. Robin drove to the hospital absentmindedly to meet her mother there and visit Jin.

Upon walking into what was apparently his hospital room, she gasped. His once-strong body was now bony and shriveled, his skin an unhealthy shade of grey. Over his head was a MediCuboid, and he was sealed off in a room next to the one she was in.

"... Jin?" She stared through the glass in stunned shock.

He heard him laugh, but she didn't see his lips moving, and his laugh was chillingly cold.

"Robin... You finally came," he said, his voice dry.

"He's hooked up to the MediCuboid," the doctor explained to her. "He can hear and see us."

"It's funny..." Jin continued to say. "I always hated this virtual world you immersed yourself in... And here I am, trapped in it for probably the rest of my sad life."

Robin said nothing for a few seconds, before the doctor placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Perhaps you'd like to speak with him face-to-face?" He gestured to a NerveGear in the next room.

She nodded and signed in, finding herself in a black room, facing Jin. He looked the same as he did before they started to grow apart, healthy and alive.

"Robin," he approached her, grabbing her shoulders. "... I love you."

He then forced his lips onto hers, kissing her. For a few seconds she was surprised, but then tried to break out of it before she felt his hands wrapping around her neck.

"I LOVED YOU, AND THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY ME?" He lifted her above the ground, her feet rising into the air as she struggled to breathe, gasping and coughing. "THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT! IF YOU HADN'T STARTED PLAYING THOSE STUPID GAMES, THEN I WOULDN'T HAVE BECOME SO LONELY! IT'S BECAUSE OF YOU ALL THIS HAPPENED!"

She tried to pry his fingers off her neck, but they constricted around her throat tight. Robin began to lose vision before she was logged off by the doctor, waking up in the bed in a panic, gasping for air that she already had.

"I'm so sorry," the doctor apologized.

Robin looked to the door to see her mother watching a monitor on the wall, and upon closer inspection she saw Jin there as he yelled expletives at the screen angrily before Asuka ran towards her daughter, hugging her tight.

"My poor girl, are you alright?"

"Y-Yeah..." She stuttered. She could still feel Jin's fingers choking her neck tightly, the feeling horrible and as gut-wrenching as the words he spoke as he did it.

"Jin is mentally unstable," the doctor explained to both of them. "His brain sustained major damage during the impact of the accident... I'm sorry."

Ever since then, Robin never visited him or played any VR games, until she was twenty. She had obtained a copy of Fire Emblem: Awakening (Online), a new game that the beta testers claimed was one of the best ever invented. Robin decided it was time to get over her phobia and logged in at the launch of FE:A to play it for herself. Little did she know, she wouldn't leave that game for almost four years of her life.

* * *

Jin sat in the middle of a column of spinning images, watching the happenings of FE:A. He had been hired as the moderator FE:A to make sure all was going smoothly and the server remained intact. The hospital staff had no idea, as the CEO of Grima Co. had hacked into his hospital server and offered him the job in secret. The green eyed man narrowed his eyes at a certain white-haired woman with two long ponytails, who carried a blue-haired baby in her arms. She was joined by a man with blue hair wearing a long white cape, who smiled at her and wrapped his arm around her. Jin swiped his arm at the image furiously, anger festering within him. He would see to it that no matter what, Robin would he his, and his alone.

* * *

Author's Note: And scene! I hope you enjoyed this short little chapter, though it was mainly a backstory explanation. I left some details out, so expect those to be filled in later. Also, I'm thinking of making another story in the same "series" to represent another arc of the plot after I finish this one. In other words, I'm planning a sequel! Although I'm doing sequels for some of my other stories as well, I'll do this one first because Awakening isn't an ongoing series (atm at least). Anyways, thanks for reading and please leave feedback! Stay tuned for the next chapter!


	13. Part 1- Chapter 13

Review Responses:

NotSoGreatGamerGirl: Haha, lol! And ah, school, how fun and simple it was in preschool, yet a horrible nightmare during midterms over a decade later. And yes, although they are "siblings" in terms of the law, they're not biologically related so that's why Jin did what he did, lol. And thank you, as always, for your review!

Lopmion-12: Yes, it was a flashback about Robin's life before she met Chrom. And I'm so glad you're enjoying my story! Thank you for reviewing!

GuestWithIdeas: Duly noted, haha! And don't worry, I have more coming with Jin and Chrom's in-laws! Thank you for your great review and I'll make sure to update soon!

* * *

Chrom felt guilty for not playing Yume Online for a whole day, and leaving Yui and Hiro alone. He had been busy with his job and helping Lucina with getting into college. Everything would be so much easier if Robin were here, he thought.

He checked his emails to see one from Internal Affairs of Dream Co., and he opened it hastily. After scanning through it, he smashed his fist on the marble tabletop angrily. Luckily for the stone, he wasn't as strong as he was within FE:A.

"Father? Is everything alright?" Morgan ran from upstairs.

"... No," Chrom replied.

Morgan approached him cautiously, aware that his father could be brash when he was angered.

"Is it about Mother?" He thought aloud. "... They couldn't find her, could they?"

Chrom shook his head in defeat.

"I should have known better than to believe they could find her," he scolded himself. "They said they can't track her account."

He buried his head in his hands.

"I'm sorry, Morgan," he apologized.

"No, it's alright, Father... I understand how you must be feeling."

Morgan embraced his father, who returned it.

"Thank you, son..." He looked up, hearing the doorbell ring.

"I'll get it!" Lucina called out from the other side of the house, by the study.

Lucina opened the door to see a woman, in her mid to late forties or so, with silky white hair twisted in a bun standing there.

"How may I help you?" Lucina asked, somewhat skeptically.

The woman smiled, and suddenly Lucina feared she knew who the lady was.

"Hello, granddaughter. May I speak to your father?"

At first Lucina stood there, her mouth gaping open.

"You're my grandmother?"

"That's correct," she opened her arms warmly. Lucina hesitantly stepped into them, but her eyes became teary as she smelled the fabric of her dress, the same smell her mother's clothes had.

The princess ushered her into the house, bringing her to the kitchen, where Chrom and Morgan were. The two blue-haired men sat there for a few seconds wordlessly before the white-haired woman offered another hug to Chrom, who awkwardly accepted it.

"Hmm, you look like a fine son-in-law," she grinned at him.

"Son-in-law?! But then..."

"Haha, yes. I'm Robin's mother," Asuka explained. "It seems she's quite lucky to have married such a handsome and kind man."

She momentarily turned to Morgan, who she observed carefully.

"Oh my, you have my eyes," she commented, looking at his face before embracing him as well.

"You're my grandma?" Morgan asked.

She nodded with a bright smile.

"That's right. You must be Morgan, right? My other daughter told me all about you and your family."

Asuka turned to Chrom.

"I have something rather urgent I need to tell you," her expression turned serious. "I fear the children need to know as well."

"Yes, what is it?"

"It's about Robin... Or more precisely, her stepbrother," her voice turned dangerously cold at that last word. "I fear he's behind all of this."

"Stepbrother?" Chrom asked in confusion.

"Yes. After I fled from my husband when Robin was a baby, I became rather lonely. I had my daughter, of course, but it hard finding good work. After a year or two, I met Robin's stepfather. He was a very kind man, and had a good job. He had a son named Jin, whose mother had passed away at the time. Oh, dear... Jin. He was such a shy boy, bashful at first. But as he and Robin grew older, he became more bold, and cheerful. He and Robin acted as if they were real siblings. And then..."

Chrom could see the fear in her eyes as she paused.

"... One night, when Robin and Jin were eighteen, my husband and I went out for dinner with friends. I decided to stay at a friend's house overnight. But my husband... He was driving home and saw Jin's car. He tried to follow him, but suddenly... Jin's car spun off the road and hit his car."

She shook her head sadly, her breaths becoming short.

"My husband didn't survive," she said, her features solemn. "Jin did, though. But there was a cost... During the accident, somehow Jin sustained irreparable brain damage. When Robin visited him, he tried to choke her. Ever since, we haven't heard from him."

Silence followed for a while, before Chrom spoke.

"Why did his car crash into your husband's?" He asked.

"... Robin found out that Jin had been influenced by some of his classmates," she explained bitterly. "He started to smoke, and drank frequently whenever he went to parties. He was driving home from a party the night we went out... I should have watched over him better."

She sighed before returning to the original subject.

"But that's all in the past. Jay told me about everything happening in Yume Online," she informed him. "If Jin launches that program, Robin will be gone forever. As will the rest of the world."

She held Chrom's hand with both of hers.

"Please, Chrom..." She begged him. "Save my daughter. I know it's a lot to ask, but... There's nothing I can do about it anymore. It's in your hands now."

He placed his hand over hers.

"I promise," he met her eyes. "I'll bring her back, if it's the last thing I do."

Asuka's eyes filled with tears as she embraced Chrom, this time Chrom returning it.

"Thank you..."

* * *

After she left, Morgan was in his room studying when Chrom walked in.

"Are you done with your homework yet?"

"Almost. I just need to finish a bit of reading."

"Okay. When you're done, tell me so we can play Yume Online."

"Really?"

"Yes. We're going to get your mother back."

About a half hour later, Lucina, Morgan, Chrom, Owain, and Lissa spawned in Aldraun. Chrom hastily messaged Hiro and waited for him to come with the rest of the Shepherds.

"Daddy!" Hiro ran towards him after he and the others touched down. "Mirage challenged the Shepherds to a team battle!"

"What?"

"He says he knows what you want," Yui panted. "He says to come and fight for it."

Chrom's brow furrowed.

"He means Mommy, doesn't he?" Yui asked, hugging him.

"He does," Chrom wrapped his arm around her small frame. "Looks like we have no choice."

"You're going to fight him, Daddy?" Hiro ran into his arms.

"Yeah," his father responded. "This has all gone on too long. It's time to end this."

Mirage instructed them to meet at the open field within Grimleal territory. The Shepherds all flew there, landing to see Mirage standing in the middle of the field alone. Chrom faced him, his comrades behind him.

"Hello, Chrom," Mirage's dark voice greeted him. "It seems you heeded my invitation."

Chrom equipped Falchion, holding it in his hand.

"Where's Robin?" He demanded.

"Patience, dear prince," Mirage kept his voice level. "She's to become GRIMA's host soon enough."

Chrom grit his teeth, his knuckles turning white.

"Damn you!" He yelled.

"Heh heh... Unless you can defeat me, I'm afraid there's nothing you can do."

"Fine, then!" Chrom leveled his sword. "If a battle is what you want, then so be it!"

"Hm, very well," Mirage drew his levin sword, and suddenly a wave of dark fog rose from behind him. When it subsided, at least five hundred players stood behind the masked man, Ryū at his side. They were severely outmatched.

"Where's your other lieutenant?" Chrom questioned Mirage.

"I'm afraid she won't be joining us today," he sighed. "But that's a trivial detail. Let us see who is superior!"

The Grimleal charged forward, overwhelming the Shepherds. However, some of them ran in fear after seeing Nah, who transformed into a dragon the size of a barn and began hurling fireballs at them. Gerome flew overhead and combated their pegasi with his axe. Yarne bunny-kicked his opponents furiously, while Laurent targeted their healers with his tomes. Kjelle and Morgan fought side by side, the former skewering enemies on her lance while the other blasted them with lightning magic. Yui and Hiro cut down their foes skillfully, too nimble to be caught, using their Twin Blades in rapid succession. Lucina and Chrom fought together as well, their swords cutting through even the toughest armor.

"Lucina!" Chrom called out. "If you get the chance, break their masks!"

"What?" She yelled over the sounds of metal clashing. "Why?"

"Their masks hold their powers!" Chrom stabbed through one of the Grimleal's cloaks. "If you break it, they'll be defenseless!"

Lucina nodded and they continued to fight off the players, who one by one fell. Soon, it started to seem they might win this.

"Fools!" Mirage yelled, and suddenly another troop of Grimleal flooded in from the forest.

"There's too many!" Lissa exclaimed, swinging her axe. "We can't take them all!"

Suddenly, an arcthunder spell fired and struck Chrom in the back, paralyzing him.

He cussed in his head as Lucina called out for him. He fell to the ground as a Grimleal prepared to finish him off, but he heard a singing voice from and sky and saw that his paralysis was cured.

"Chrom!" Olivia called out, flying down with her sword drawn. Virion, Tharja, Henry, Libra, and Maribelle flew down with her. Behind them were Panne, Vaike, Ricken, Miriel, Donnel, Stahl, and Sully. Cherche and Gregor rode atop Minerva, while Lon'qu and Cordelia and Sumia and Gaius rode together on their pegasi. Below them were Inigo, Gerome and Severa, Cynthia, Brady, and Noire, Cynthia with Owain on her pegasus.

"Everyone..." He said in awe.

"There's no way in hell we'll let that bastard take Robin!" Sully exclaimed.

"We owe Robin too much," Panne said.

"Robin will NOT be stolen away again so long as I live," Tharja added menacingly.

"Captain!" Sumia called out, lancing the people around Chrom. "We'll take care of them! Go find that Mirage guy and beat him!"

"Y-Yeah," Chrom stood up and cut his way through the army, looking around for Mirage. He was nowhere to be seen, and neither was Jin. However, the tables had turned and they had a very good chance of winning. But that would all be for nothing if he couldn't destroy Mirage's mask. Scanning the sky and ground as pegasi and wyverns soared through the air, he saw near the corner of the battlefield his four children, in battle with the Grimleal's top two. If he couldn't make it in time, hopefully Lucina could break one of their masks with Falchion.

Chrom landed behind them, Falchion drawn.

Mirage did a backflip to distance himself from them, chuckling as his levin sword crackled.

"Hm," Ryū said from his side. "It looks like the whole family's here... Except for one, correct? That's too bad."

Chrom's brow furrowed in anger as he turned to face the man.

"Robin is more family to us than she ever was to you, Jin," he told him icily.

The prince couldn't see his reaction through his mask, but it must have been one of rage.

"... I see," he spat. "My stepmother must have informed you... But no matter!"

He drew his golden axe, pointing it at them.

"You're not her husband anymore," Jin's voice was venomous and full of spite.

"You're wrong!" Chrom lunged at him before he shadow-traveled just as Jay had, appearing behind Morgan, who managed to shield his attack.

Mirage then began to attack Chrom, stabbing at him with the speed of a car. He had trouble keeping up before Hiro dove from the back with Astra, landing the very last hit critically.

"Urgh," Mirage stumbled back.

"You and your sister are quite a nuisance," he grumbled. "I'd like to introduce you to a new game feature I like to call permadeath."

A tag appeared in front of the twins, reading "Permadeath On".

Chrom's eyes widened.

"No!" He called out before Mirage shadow traveled and struck Yui in the back, causing her to fall to the ground. The masked man was about to finish her off when Morgan shot an Arcwind at him, causing him to tumble across the ground before standing up.

Meanwhile, Lucina dueled with Ryū, and she managed to lower his HP into the yellow zone, pushing him to the ground. She held her sword over him to end the battle before he shadow-traveled away again, to an unknown location.

"Damn!" Lucina looked around, trying to find him. She took notice of the battle and joined her family, who all stood in front of Mirage.

"That imbecile!" Mirage exclaimed. "No matter! I will have to finish this myself!"

He summoned two killing edges and held them in both hands.

"Dual wielding?" Yui gasped before he charged at them, slashing Lucina's stomach and Morgan's chest. Chrom then ran Falchion into his abdomen, causing Mirage to fall back. He didn't have much time to think, however, as Yui and Hiro were already on him, whirling their swords at him with the skill of a general.

"Yui!" Chrom threw his Falchion up in the air to her.

"Hiro!" Lucina did the same to Hiro, the two dropping their weapons and racing towards him with the twin Falchions.

Twin Blades activated, and both of their Aether skills went off, aiming straight for his mask. Just as the mask began to crack and break apart, Mirage's hood fell off and long white locks of hair flew towards the twin's faces as they looked in shock to see Robin's unmistakable face before them, her brown eyes wide in stunned surprise as the mask shattered into green and blue virtual pieces.

"... M- Mommy?!"

Chrom raced forward to catch her before she hit the ground, thinking his eyes deceived him. But this was no trick. In his arms was Robin, who looked to be half unconscious as she looked back at him.

"C-Chrom...? Is that you...?" She asked. "Where am I...? I..."

Chrom's eyes filled with tears as he embraced her, not wanting to let go.

"It's me, Robin..." He sobbed.

She smiled at that.

"Mother!" Lucina and Morgan called out, running towards them as fast as they could. Robin kneeled on the grass, Chrom next to her as they jumped into her arms longingly, tears flowing from their eyes freely.

"Mother...! Oh, Mother!" Lucina cried, burying her face in Robin's cloak.

Morgan was too busy weeping to say much, but he missed her all the same.

"My darling babies..." Robin kissed them both. "I love you so much."

The tactician looked past their shoulders to see Yui and Hiro standing at the back awkwardly. She examined Yui first, only to see who looked a mirror image of herself. Then she looked to Hiro, who looked just like Chrom.

"Are you...?" She asked them.

Chrom smiled and ushered them to come over.

"You two, didn't you say you wanted to meet your mother?"

They both nodded, Yui beginning to cry as Lucina and Morgan moved out of the way so they could embrace their mother as well.

"Mommy!" They exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around them.

"You really are my children, aren't you?" She smiled at them while patting their backs. "It's alright, your mommy's here now."

Suddenly someone shadow traveled from behind Robin, who turned out to he Ryū. He held his axe up, ready to bring it down on her before she was pushed out of way.

"No!" Robin cried out in horror, seeing her son's chest being gashed open.

"HIRO!" Yui grabbed her sword and drove it into Jin's chest before skewering him into the ground, pushing the blade deeper into the ground.

"NO ONE HURTS MY BROTHER!" She screamed, punching him in the face brutally until his HP eventually ran out.

Jin chuckled, coughing up virtual blood.

"Heh... This is my... Revenge..."

He shattered, leaving Yui with her hands on a sword stabbed into the ground before she turned back to see her brother breathing heavily, his HP draining to zero.

"No..." Lucina gasped, Morgan rushing over in panic.

"Hiro! No, Hiro, please! No!" Chrom held his son's hand pleadingly.

Hiro rested in his mother's arms, who cried onto his face.

"Mommy, Daddy... Please, don't be sad..." He said weakly. "... You have to be... Happy..."

His feet began to dissolve slowly into the air, causing Robin to hold him tighter.

"Thank you..." Hiro smiled genuinely for the first time. "This is goodbye..."

"Hiro! No, I don't want that!" She begged him. "I want us to stay together! I just... I just met you! I don't want to say goodbye!"

"Hiro..." Yui's voice trailed off, sniffling.

"I'm so happy... I finally... I finally got to meet you, Mommy," he smiled, a single tear falling down his cheek before he looked around at the rest of his family, who gazed down at him with tears in their eyes. "I finally know what it's like to have a real family..."

Chrom squeezed his hand tighter as his knees faded away.

"No! That's... Agh, this is all wrong!" Chrom yelled. "This isn't how this was supposed to end!"

"... It's my fault," Robin sobbed. "Whoever Mirage was, he was using my body. If it weren't for me, none of this would have-"

"No," Hiro shook his head. "It's not your fault, Mommy. I..."

He wrapped his arms around his mother, clinging to her like a lifeline.

"I don't want you to live the rest of your life sad and guilty..." He told her. "I want you to be happy."

"H-Hiro, I...!" She hugged him tighter.

Yui joined the hug, then Morgan, them Lucina, and lastly, Chrom.

His tears fell onto the ground, wetting the soil.

"Lucina... Big sis... Thank you for showing me what it means to be strong," he looked into her eyes, seeing the Brand there. "You showed me that it's not always easy to make the right choice..."

"And big brother... Morgan... Thank you for being the best brother I could ever want... And teaching me about being family..." He turned to Yui. "Yui... Thank you for always being there for me... You never left my side and stood up for me no matter what..."

He met Chrom's blue eyes, identical to his own.

"Daddy... Thank you for teaching me that family... Our family... Is worth fighting and dying for..." He looked up to the sky.

Robin began to sob louder, and Hiro raised his hand to her cheek to wipe the tears away.

"Mommy... Thank you for showing me ... That no matter what, parents will always love their children... And are willing to die for them..."

He had dissolved all the way up to his torso, and melted into his family's embrace.

".. Promise me," Hiro requested. "This is my last wish... Please... Promise me you won't cry... That you'll be happy... And that you won't forget me... When you get back to the real world..."

"I promise," they all said in unison, causing Hiro to smile brighter.

"I understand now..." His voice trailed off as he began to fade away faster. "I know what it's like now... I know what real love is like... I..."

"I love you..."

Robin clutched his back desperately, crying out for him. But he was gone, the yellow sparkling specs of his avatar gone. Robin looked at them in horror before collapsing on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably with her hands clasped against her heart.

Tears streaked Chrom's face as he punched the ground angrily.

"This is all his fault..." He gritted his teeth.

Yui cried into Morgan's cloak as Lucina comforted them, the princess' eyes wet as well. Chrom placed his hand on Robin's shoulder, who looked up at him and rushed into his arms, sobbing like he had never seen before.

Finally, Chrom wiped his eyes and held Robin's face.

"Hey... We have to keep our promise to Hiro," he told her, and she dried her eyes on her sleeve.

"Yeah," she agreed, her eyes still red.

Yui did the same and ran to Robin.

"Mommy, you should go back to the real world now," she said.

"But what about you?" Robin asked in concern. "Will you be alright?"

"I'll be fine," Yui hugged her mother. "... But could you turn permadeath off?"

Robin gasped.

"Yes, of course," she did just that.

"Thank you, Mommy," she let go and smiled, blinking one last tear away from her eye. "Hopefully I can see you in the real world soon."

"I'll make sure to visit before then," Robin assured her before giving her a kiss.

Robin turned to Lucina first, embracing her daughter and stroking her back.

"I love you, Lucina..." She said. "I'll see you soon, right?"

Lucina bit back tears.

"Right."

"And my strapping young lad," she turned to Morgan. "I'll see you as well, hm?"

"Y-Yes!" Morgan responded.

Robin gave them one final smile before turning to Chrom, resting her head on his chest.

"Chrom... Thank you..." She told him quietly. "I love you."

He resisted the sobs rising up in him.

"I love you, too," he pulled her closer.

She beamed before leaning in towards his ear.

"Hey... When I get back, let's get married... And live together... And start a family... For real this time."

"Of course," Chrom smiled.

She returned it once more and opened up her menu, her finger hovering over the "Log Out" button before she pressed it, her avatar disappearing.

Chrom looked over to see that the battle was over, all the Grimleal defeated as the Shepherds flew toward him.

"Chrom!" Lissa tackled him with a hug. "Where's Robin? ... And Hiro?"

Chrom's eyes saddened.

"... Hiro didn't make it," he said. "He sacrificed himself to save his mother."

Lissa's eyes filled with tears.

"But I'm sure he wouldn't have wanted it any other way," Chrom assured her. He took a look at all his friends.

"Everyone, thank you," he told them. "Even if this is the last time we all fight together, we'll always be Shepherds at heart."

A cheer rose from the Shepherds before Olivia spoke up.

"Chrom, she's probably waiting for you as we speak," she told him urgently.

"Yeah! Now get the hell back to the real world!" Sully called out, cries of agreement shouting out from the others.

"You're right," he smiled opening his menu.

He took one last look at them before saying a last thank you as Yui hugged him tightly. Chrom kissed her head before logging out, waking up and bolting out of the room to wake up Lucina, Morgan, and Lissa so they could head to the hospital to see Robin.

* * *

Author's Note: And scene! Honestly, that chapter was pretty depressing to write... But don't worry, I've already got the next chapter almost ready to post, and I'll do that as soon as possible. Btw please don't bash me for killing Hiro, I've still got a lot planned for this story. Anyways, thanks for reading and please leave feedback if you enjoyed!


	14. Part 1- Chapter 14

Review Responses:

NotSoGreatGamerGirl- *sniff* Yeah... Tbh it nearly killed me to write that, lol. But that aside, thank you! And thank you for your review, as always!

* * *

Chrom, Lissa, Morgan, and Lucina rushed into the room, slowing when they entered.

A chill was sent up Chrom's spine when he heard shuffling from behind the curtain, and his eyes widened in horror as he stepped in front of it.

A man who looked to be about nineteen or so with extremely bony and sickly features held a long surgery knife at Robin's throat, his other hand clamped over her mouth.

"Don't move," he croaked with his scratchy voice. "Or I'll slit her throat open."

Robin tried to speak, but her voice was muffled against the man's palm.

"Don't move, either," he instructed Robin, pressing the blade against her skin tighter. "Unless you want to die."

Chrom remained still, but he raised his voice.

"Let her go!" He yelled.

"Oh, I don't think so," he removed his hand from Robin's face and began to play with her hair.

"Stop," Robin pleaded, her voice still dry.

"No," his voice turned rough, and he turned to look Chrom in the eye.

"I told you," he smirked chillingly. "Robin is mine now... She always has been."

"No, she's not," Chrom shot back angrily.

"Is that so?"

He leaned down, placing his lips near Robin's ear.

"You know, it's not too late..." He whispered to her. "We could settle down... Start a family..."

He moved his hand down to her abdomen, infuriating Chrom.

"No!" Robin refused. "I already have a family! I have children!"

She began to cry.

"... And you killed one of them! You're a monster!"

His eyes flashed in irritation.

"I see..." His voice trailed off. "Then I'll have to eliminate the other three first, and then we can start fresh!"

He pointed his knife at Lucina, who stood next to her father, while choking Robin's neck with his other arm.

"No! Don't hurt them..." She gasped. "Please..."

He smiled at her, his features the definition of scary.

"I like it when you beg," he told her softly. "Do it again and I just might spare their lives."

Robin pondered it for a moment silently.

"Mother! Don't!" Lucina protested in her panic.

"... Please," Robin pleaded. "... Don't hurt my family."

Jin grinned at that, and suddenly flung her back onto the bed, hitting her head on the wall with a thud as he ran forward with the knife in his hands.

"NO!" Robin cried out.

"DIE!" He screamed, charging towards Morgan, who gasped just as they heard a loud bullet shot.

Jin fell over, collapsing onto Morgan, who pushed him off frightfully and scrambled to crawl away from him.

"Morgan!" Lucina lifted him off the ground. "Are you alright?!"

"L-Lucy!" He flung himself into Lucina's arms, his voice squeaky. "Lucy! I was so scared! I thought I was gonna die!"

"No, you're going to be alright," Lucina comforted him.

Chrom looked back to see who fired the gun. He was shocked to see Jay standing in the doorway, half of her face bleeding from a large gash on her cheek extending to her forehead.

"Jay!" He exclaimed.

"Looks like I made it just in time," she panted. "Is Robin alright?"

"Yes, thanks to you," he nodded before gasping and running over to Robin, who lay slumped against the wall with her eyes closed.

"Please be okay, please be okay..." Chrom chanted to himself in his head.

"Robin! Are you okay?" He held her shoulders. "Look at me!"

"Ugh..." She held her head, disoriented before opening her eyes to look at him. "... That really hurt."

He wrapped his arms around her, kissing the spot on her head that hit the wall.

"Oh, thank God you're safe..." He said, his eyes filling with tears.

Robin laughed lightly in agreement, returning the embrace as Jay observed Jin, who was on the floor.

"No... Robin..." He moaned.

"You've caused enough grief in this family," she narrowed her eyes at him. "I won't let you hurt my sister ever again."

She kicked his head brutally, knocking him out.

"I'll call the police station," she turned to Lissa. "Doesn't your husband work there?"

"Yeah," Lissa replied. "... Wait, how did you know that? And what happened to you?!"

Jay smiled.

"... Well, I'm a detective. I have access to city records and such, and... Oh, never mind. And as for my face..."

She frowned.

"That (*insert bad word of your choice here*) ambushed me in the elevator when I went to see Robin after I found out she was logged out. I assume he forcibly logged himself out of his MediCuboid, grabbed a surgery knife, and found Robin's hospital room. As the elevator opened when I went to visit her, he lunged at me and slashed my face before I got knocked out from the impact of hitting the hard floor."

"Ow..." Lissa grimaced in fear. "Hang on, let me see if they have anything I can use to help clean you up. I'm in medic school, you know?"

After Lissa treated Jay's cuts, they all walked towards Robin's bed, greeting her warmly.

"Welcome back, Robin!" Lissa beamed cheerfully. "We were all waiting for you!"

"Welcome back, Mother," Lucina hugged her longingly. "Everything's going to be alright, now that you're with us."

"Yeah!" Morgan joined in the hug. "We can finally live normally together!"

Jay simply smiled at Robin, which her sister returned through her children's embrace.

Then, Lissa ushered everyone to leave the room so Chrom and Robin could have some time alone.

Robin observed his face in the moonlight.

"... Wow, I never realized how much more vivid everything is in the real world," she said. "I'm so glad I made it back."

"I am, too," he told her, sitting next to her.

She looked down guiltily, clenching her fists.

"I... The last thing I remembered before Yui and Hiro broke Mirage's mask was watching all of you," she recalled. "And then, all of a sudden, everything just shattered, and then I blinked and woke up in your arms."

He placed his hand over her shaking one.

"Hey, none of it was your fault... Although I do still think that whoever's responsible needs to pay."

Robin nodded in agreement before turning her head to the window, where the silvery beams of light shone down through the glass.

She suddenly shifted her legs over the bed, attempting to stand up.

"Hey!" Chrom called out as she fell, laughing at herself as she laid on the cold floor.

"Ow..." She grimaced. "I think I'll just stay here for a while."

"There are better places to take a nap than on the ground, you know," he chuckled, offering his hand to her. "Give me your hand."

She took it with a smile and shakily stood up before her knees caved and she fell into his arms with a hearty laugh.

He carried her onto the bed, sitting her down before resting his forehead against hers gently.

"Welcome back," he whispered. "It's all over now."

Robin began to cry as Chrom placed his lips onto hers, and they shared a tender and much-needed kiss. As they let go, Robin wiped away her tears.

"Let's go home," Chrom told her, holding her hand.

"... Yeah. Let's go home," she repeated with a smile.

* * *

That night, Chrom let Robin take a quick shower before she went to bed, resting her head on the pillow tiredly.

He lifted up the covers and crawled under, next to her.

"Tired?" He asked.

She nodded in reply, looking up at the ceiling before she closed her eyes, a single tear falling onto the covers.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

Robin shook her head, fighting back the tears.

"I... I want Hiro back..." She sobbed. "He sacrificed himself... For me."

Chrom comforted her.

"Hiro was a smart kid," he told her. "Just like his mother... He did it for the sake of his future self, and the rest of the family."

Robin sniffled.

"I... I never even got to know him," she cried. "B-Before he died..."

"Well, first of all, you have to stop crying," he smiled.

"... How can you be so happy? Our son died!" She asked him in disbelief.

His smile faltered slightly, but it still remained on his face.

"I'm not happy he died," he told her seriously. "I'm respecting his last wish... You remember it, don't you?"

"Of course I do," she said remorsefully. "... Every word of it."

Chrom adjusted himself so that he faced her.

"He even told you personally, didn't he?" He reminded her. "He said he didn't want you to be sad and guilty about his death."

"I..." Robin pressed the blanket to her face to dry her tears. "... You're right, Chrom. I'm sorry."

Suddenly baby Lucina started to cry from her crib in the corner of the room. They were getting her new room redone, so they had to move her and all her belongings to Chrom and Robin's room.

Robin pulled the covers off gently and sleepily walked to the crib, peering over the side to see Lucina garbling, stretching her arms out.

"It's alright, your mommy's here now," she cradled the baby in her arms. It didn't do much to pacify her until Robin handed her over to Chrom, causing her to silence and look up at him peacefully.

Robin sighed, sitting on the bed.

"She always did like her father," she noted.

"Don't say that," Chrom insisted. "I'm sure she loves you just as much as she loves me."

He returned Lucina to Robin, who was much more tranquil this time around.

"You're her mother, after all," he continued.

Robin kissed Lucina's chubby cheek affectionately.

"Oh, my little baby..." She whispered. "I missed you so much..."

Lucina began to fall asleep in her mother's warm embrace before she was put back to her crib.

"... I love you," Robin told her with a smile. "I love you very much, Lucina."

Unbeknownst to the two parents, the older Lucina stood outside the door, unintentionally eavesdropping. She smiled before returning to her room, not wanting to steal their attention away from their true daughter.

* * *

Chrom woke up early the next morning to see Robin shaking vigorously in her sleep, almost as if she were severely shivering.

"... Ungh... Stop..." She mumbled.

"Robin?" He shook her gently.

She gradually stopped shaking and her eyes began to open slowly.

"Chrom?" She muttered, turning to face him.

"Are you alright?" He asked her in concern.

"Yeah, I just..." Her voice trailed off as she sat up. "... Had a nightmare."

His brow furrowed as he did the same.

"What was it about?" He asked her.

"It was about..." She began to say. "... It was about Jin."

Chrom's eyes widened.

"What happened? Did he hurt you?"

"He... I remembered what happened back at the hospital, before you came..."

Chrom listened attentively.

"He..." She held her arms close to her body.

Chrom held her shoulders, looking her in the eye.

"Did he touch you?!" He asked, furiously. The anger wasn't directed at her, but rather, Jin.

She nodded, sniffling.

He instinctively embraced her, trying to contain himself.

"That bastard..." He muttered hatefully. "I'll kill him. He's hurt you too much."

Robin melted into his embrace silently, and for a few moments they were silent.

"Robin..." Chrom said, breaking the silence. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"I... I was scared," she admitted. "I was so scared, I didn't want to remember any of it... It was so awful..."

Chrom comforted her, clutching her to him closely.

"... But when I'm with you, I'm not scared anymore," she continued to say, a small smile appearing on her face. "I feel safe."

Chrom stroked her back, his hand running over her silky white hair.

"... Then I'll stay with you forever," he told her. "If that's what it takes to make you happy, then so be it."

Robin's smile widened.

"Thank you, Chrom... For everything. I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, forever."

"I love you, too. And I'll do anything to make sure we can live together... As a family."

* * *

Meanwhile, Yui walked through the field where Hiro had died, a bouquet of flowers she had picked herself in her hand. She remembered how she'd pluck a few of them while they were in the forest and stick them in his hair while she thought he wasn't looking. He would smile and tell her that they'd look a lot better in her hair, and he did just that, nestling the dainty blossom behind her ear.

Her brown eyes looked down at her boots, as she remembered him. He was the best friend she could ever ask for. He was kind, considerate, and never once yelled or got mad at her for anything, which was saying a lot since she tended to get into trouble a lot. But despite that, he stood by her side no matter what. She knew that he could understand her. He could literally feel what she was feeling. Because of that, Yui had learned to never think or shout, "You don't understand me."

Then, she saw a glint of silver sticking out of the ground, with a dark purple hilt and knew she was getting closer. Yui had realized after her family returned to the real world that the sword she had used to kill Mirage was actually Hiro's sword and not hers. They used the same sword, but the detailing on the guard was different. In her rush, she had thought she grabbed hers after she dropped it to catch Falchion, but it turned out to be her late brother's. She decided to keep it there as a reminder of him, and that he was once here.

As she approached his grave site, she was shocked to see that behind where Hiro's sword in the ground was, there was a tall and wide tree that previously was not there. It had strong branches and beautiful red leaves that looked like rose petals from a distance.

She curiously stepped forward and placed her hand on the smooth bark after placing the flowers in front of his sword.

"How did this get here?" Yui wondered. "It's not like they just spawn trees for fun."

Seeing Hiro's sword smack in the middle in front of it, though, she remembered how when he laid in his mother's arms, his tears fell onto the soil beneath her.

His teardrops had formed this tree.

She sat down and leaned against the trunk, closing her eyes. Ever since Hiro had died, she was secretly lonely. Around the others, she had pretended to be as cheerful as she had before she lost her brother. Deep down in her heart, though, she was miserable. Sometimes the reality of it hadn't quite sunken in. But then, she realized that what's done was done. Only now, she felt at peace, as if her twin sibling was sitting right next to her.

"Hiro..."

* * *

Author's Note: And scene! I'm so sorry for not posting as soon as I originally planned, I've been really busy with school and real life stuff, *sigh*. However, I'll do my best to get the next chapter up ASAP. Also, I'm going to transition into the next "arc", if you will, of the story, soon, so I might change the title and description and maybe chapter names just so you know, lol. Anyways, thanks for reading, and please leave feedback if you enjoyed! Stay tuned for the next chapter!


	15. Part 1- Chapter 15

Review Responses:

NotSoGreatGamerGirl: Thank you! And I wanted to capture some of Yui's more introverted personality, and how she was really feeling inside after she lost her brother. She's one of my favorite OC's that I've ever added to a story so far, lol. Also, I'm happy to say that I now have a consistent time slot to upload chapters, which I talk about more in my A/N. :)

Tana Satou: Guilty as charged, when it comes to the Mother's Rosario side story, at least. To be honest I didn't really like how most of SAO turned out, but I think the next arc, Alicization, is better than the previous story. I don't even know if you're reading this, but I always like to reply back to my readers all the same. Thank you for your review! :D

Lopmion-12: Thank you! Yes, Yui still misses Hiro, but I'll expound upon that this chapter, heehee! ;)

GuestWithIdeas: It's totally fine, I understand! I also feel bad for not reviewing some of the stories I'm following, lol. That aside, wow it's almost like you know my plans for this story! Just a tiny spoiler, you'll definitely see more of the rest of the Shepherds and Jin, and more of the whole thing with Lucina and her infant self. Thank you so much for your review!

* * *

"Yui!" Chrom called out in joy, running toward his daughter.

"Daddy!" Yui's brown eyes lit up.

Chrom held her tight, trying his best to kneel down in front of her wheelchair.

"See? I told you that one day you'd be able to come here to the real world."

"B-But..." Yui sniffled. "It doesn't feel right... When Hiro's not here with me."

Chrom was saddened by that, however he put on a smile and faced her, wiping her tears away.

"Hiro would want you to be here," he told her. "I'm sure of it."

"Oh, Daddy..." She cried. "I missed you so much."

"I missed you too, Yui," he replied, comforting her.

Yui looked around the room.

"Everyone else made it out..." She sighed. "I'm glad. But where's Mommy? And Lucy and Morgan?"

"Your mother is resting at home. She's not used to walking normally yet. And Lucina and Morgan are at college and school."

"Oh," Yui said. "I forgot about that."

"Well, how about I take you home and you can see them?" Chrom proposed.

"Okay!" She beamed. "I can't wait!"

After he signed some papers and signed her out of the hospital, he helped Yui to get into the car and placed her folded wheelchair in the back.

Yui shivered, as she was wearing nothing but a simple robe over her thin undergarments.

"It's a lot colder here than in Yume Online," she laughed.

Hearing that, her father grabbed a spare jacket from the backseat and had her wear it.

"Heehee, this jacket is so big and puffy!" She giggled, her face barely visible from the upturned collar of his winter jacket. "But it's really warm. I like it!"

Chrom smiled.

"Make sure you buckle up," he instructed her.

"Oh! Um..." She filled with the seatbelt and buckled herself in. "Wow! That was my first time ever to put on a seatbelt!"

On the way home, Yui remained mostly silent and stared out the window, intrigued by the new world around her. Eventually she fell asleep and breathed softly while Chrom drove the car atop the snow-covered road.

When they arrived at the house, he gently scooped Yui up and carried her upstairs, to where Robin was sleeping. He carefully removed her jacket and tucked her into bed next to her mother. Robin hadn't been able to sleep normally since they woke up that morning, and tended to fall asleep in the middle of the day. She unconsciously hugged Yui in her sleep like a teddy bear, and the blue-haired girl snuggled closer to her.

Chrom left them and checked his email for news from work and such, and opened a new one from Internal Affairs of Dream Co.

"What is it this time?" He asked himself as he scanned the screen.

"Hello, Mr. Ylisse. As of recent events, we'd hate to trouble you further and understand that you and Ms. Validar are still recuperating. Despite this, we would be grateful if you'd both be so kind as to give us your okay to meet with you to discuss some cybernetic matters. Thank you."

It somewhat bothered him how they referred to Robin as "Ms. Validar" rather than "your wife", but he realized they weren't married yet in the real world. That was high up on his "to do" list. Chrom pondered the letter before Lucina opened the door, removing her hat.

"Lucina?!" He asked, bolting up. "How did you get here? I was just about to go pick you up!"

"I walked," she informed him.

Chrom sighed.

"What if something happened to you?" He asked. "Your mother and I would have been heartbroken."

"Oh..." She said quietly, looking down. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright, Lucina. Just make sure you don't do it again unless I allow it."

"Yes, Father," the princess responded before looking around. "Is Yui here?"

"Yes. But she's taking a nap with your mother at the moment. They'll wake up soon enough, don't worry."

"Okay then," she hung her coat on the rack and began to go upstairs. "I'm going to study now, Father."

"Alright."

Chrom decided to wait until Robin woke up to respond to their email. He always had been reliant on her judgement, after all.

* * *

Robin opened her eyes slowly, blinking the sunlight out of them.

"Ugh..." She muttered before realizing that she had her arms wrapped around Yui, whole and alive before her very eyes.

"Yui...!" She tried to contain her joy, on the verge of tears.

Yui flipped onto her other side to face Robin, half asleep.

"M-Mo.. -mmy?" The girl mumbled.

"Oh, Yui!" Robin threw her arms around her daughter lovingly and kissed her face.

"Mommy...! I missed you so much!" Yui sobbed, waking up completely.

"I missed you, too, sweetie," her mother replied. "Don't cry..."

Despite that, Robin began to cry herself.

"I'm so glad..." She told her daughter. "I was worried they wouldn't be able to fix the machine..."

"It's okay, Mommy," Yui said. "I'm here now..."

Robin wiped her eyes and laughed.

"Yeah," agreed. "Welcome home, Yui."

Yui's lower lip began to tremble.

"M-Mommy...!" She cried out, embracing Robin again.

"Shh, it's okay," the tactician whispered soothingly. "Your mother's here now. And so is the rest of your family."

The young girl ceased crying after a while and began to giggle.

"What's so funny?" Robin asked with a smile.

"Heehee... I just remembered that I wanted to ask you something," she grinned. "Do you mind, Mommy?"

"No, of course not."

"Well... What I was going to ask is how you fell in love with Daddy!"

At that, a pink flush manifested on Robin's cheeks.

"U-Um... Well..." She stuttered. "Why do you want to know that?"

"Because," Yui began to say, beaming with curiosity. "Daddy told me how he fell in love with you, so then I said that when I found you I'd ask you too so that I can hear both sides of the story!"

Robin smiled and sighed.

"He told you? Wow, that's kind of surprising. Lucina got him to tell her only after beating him in a training match," she laughed. "But if you insist, then I'll tell you. Hmm, let's see... I suppose I started to fall in love with Chrom when he found me in that field. It shocked me how he'd go out of his way to help a stranger and take her in."

Yui listened silently, taking in every word.

"And then?" She asked.

"Well, after that we became allies. Then comrades, and then close friends. I felt like I could trust Chrom with anything... Simple things to be expected like a secret or two. Eventually, I trusted him with my heart. And he hasn't broken that trust since."

"Hmm..." Yui pondered this information. "Oh! I have another question! How did Father propose to you?"

"She's quite the curious one..." Robin thought with a grin.

"It was after we defeated the mad king, Gangrel. As for the specifics, well, he- uh, bent down on one knee and proposed...?"

"What kind of ring did he give you?"

"One with a Brand of the Exalt on it," she told him. "It was a beautiful silvery ring, as breathtaking as the moon itself."

She sighed.

"It's a shame I left it back in that world," she lamented.

"You mean this ring?" Yui held up the exact ring in her delicate palm, only there was a necklace chain strung through it.

"What?! Yes, that's... But how did you get it?!" Robin sputtered.

"I was wearing it when I first came to Yume Online," Yui informed her. "Hiro was wearing the other one, which now that I think about it, was probably Daddy's. Maybe NAGA got it from him before he died? I don't know. Before, I thought that maybe they were just rings meant for us. But after hearing you describe it, I realized it was yours."

She placed the ring in Robin's hand.

"Here you go! It's yours, so you should take it."

"Yui... Oh, this means so much to me... Thank you," she hugged the girl once more.

"I'm just returning what's rightfully yours," Yui responded humbly. "I can't just go stealing people's wedding rings, right? Especially not my own mother's!"

Robin laughed.

"Well, I suppose not... Stealing's a sin, after all," she said. "But one day, if you get married, you'll get a ring, too."

Yui frowned.

"I don't wanna get married!" She clung to her mother's arm like a koala hugging a tree. "I'd much rather stay here with you and Daddy!"

"I'd like that, too," Robin kissed her head. "But that aside, I'm really hungry. Let's get something to eat, okay?"

Yui agreed happily and skipped downstairs with her mother, catching Chrom's attention.

"Awake already?" He asked. "Yesterday you slept until ten."

"I'm trying to adjust, you know," Robin replied, baby Lucina in her arms. "And it's always good to spend time with your children."

She turned to Yui.

"Would you like to help me prepare something for us to eat?" She proposed.

"Yeah! ... Although cooking in Yume Online is oversimplified, or so I've heard. I don't completely doubt it, though. All you have to do is tap an ingredient with a knife and it chops itself up into perfect pieces!" Yui laughed.

"Wow," Robin said. "That'd be a lot easier. But even so, I think I'll teach you to cook the real way."

"Yeah!"

At Robin's request, Yui scampered to the pantry to retrieve some bread and other ingredients while Chrom stood up and placed his hand on Robin's shoulder.

"Are you still having trouble walking?" He asked.

"My knees are still a bit weak, but I'll get used to it," she smiled. "Thank you."

He looked to her hand, which was supporting Lucina's tiny body, his eyes widening as he saw the ring.

"Robin! That's?!"

"Yeah," she replied. "It is. Yui had it when she was de-virtualized. And she said that Hiro had yours."

He held her hand in his, examining it.

"Wow, it's exactly the same," he noted. "To the tiniest detail."

He then closed his hands around hers.

"Speaking of which, we still haven't gotten married yet in this world," he told her. "But it still feels like we are."

"We are in spirit," she frowned. "I don't care if we got married in a real world or a virtual one. My feelings for you are real."

"As are mine," he returned, kissing her hand, where the Mark of Grima used to be. "But I still want us to get married legally."

"Of course we will," she told him. "I promise."

They shared a kiss while Lucina laughed in Robin's arms and didn't notice Yui come back with a jar of mayonnaise and several loaves of french bread in her small arms. As soon as they saw her, they go as their faces turned red in embarrassment.

"Y-Yui!" Chrom stammered. "Um..."

"Um, how long were you standing there?" Robin asked bashfully.

"Well... I guess halfway through? You seemed busy, so I didn't want to disturb you."

"Oh, how embarrassing...!" Robin wanted to bury her face in her hands, but she was holding a baby.

"I've never kissed a boy before," Yui told them. "Except for Hiro, Morgan, and Daddy, but they don't count. I think it's kind of gross, though. Yuck."

"I should hope you haven't kissed a boy before," Chrom walked over to her and kissed her head. "And I hope you never will in the near future."

"Oh, I promise I won't," Yui declared. "I never want to do that."

"Good, then," Chrom smiled.

After a few seconds, Yui observed her baby-older-sister and popped the question that he dreaded she would ask.

"... Well, I've been wondering, Daddy, where do babies come from?" She asked him. "There aren't any babies in Yume Online."

Shocked silence followed for a few seconds before he finally spoke.

"That's a good question!" He stammered. "Why don't you ask your mother?"

"Mommy?"

"What? Oh, well..." Robin shot Chrom a look. "A baby comes from the mommy's... Stomach."

"How did it get in there?"

"Uh..." Her mother began to blush.

"Are you okay, Mommy? Your face is turning really red."

"Y-Yes, I'm fine, I just..."

"I think you should get some more rest. It looks like you have a really bad fever," she placed the ingredients down on the counter and walked toward Robin, going up onto her tiptoes as she placed her hand on her forehead. "... Yup, it definitely feels like a fever."

"F-Fever? Don't be ridiculous, sweetie," Robin said. "Now how about we make those sandwiches?"

At that, Yui's eyes gleamed in excitement.

"Okay! Is there anything we need? I think we need more than just mayonnaise and bread."

"Of course," Robin smiled at her. "Come with me, and we'll get some meat from the fridge, and vegetables."

Robin gave Lucina to her father and ushered Yui towards the fridge and they collected the rest of what was needed to make the sandwich.

"Alright Yui, do you know how to use a toaster oven?" Robin asked her.

"Um... Is it like using an oven in Yume Online?"

"Well, I wouldn't know, but I'd think so. After you put the bread on the toasting rack, just set the temperature like this," she demonstrated. "And then we wait."

Yui peered into the oven curiously.

"How long will it take?"

"Not that long. Meanwhile, we can make some smoothies."

"Oh, I've had one of those before," Yui commented. "It was kind of expensive. It was really good, though, so I didn't mind. But Hiro told me not to waste our money like that again, heehee..."

"Haha, is that so? Well, don't worry, this one's on your mother," Robin smiled. "And you're going to help me make it."

Robin sliced some fruits and scooped some ice cream while Yui poured some milk into the blender.

"Alright," the tactician secured the lid in top of the blender. "Now, press the button when you're ready, Yui."

Yui did just that and smiled as the ingredients whirled together, becoming a pinkish purple color.

"Wow...!" She said in awe. "So pretty!"

"And it tastes good, too!" Robin added.

Soon after, Yui set the table and Robin prepared the food and smoothies.

"Lucina! It's time for lunch!" Robin called her over.

"Coming, Mother!" Lucina hollered from the study.

"You eat, too, Chrom," Robin looked over to him as he closed his holographic laptop display and sat down in front of the food.

"Wow, looks good," his eyes observed the food hungrily. He reached over to pick it up before his hand was slapped away sharply by Robin.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"Don't eat until everyone else sits down!" She scolded him.

"Alright, alright."

The door then opened and Morgan walked into the kitchen, followed by Owain.

"Welcome home, you two," Robin greeted them.

"Hi, Mother," Morgan slumped into her arms while Owain collapsed onto the couch.

"Tired?" She asked. "Maybe some food will help pick you up."

"Food?!" They both exclaimed simultaneously and scurried to sit down at the table.

Lucina also came and sat down, greeting her brother and cousin before they all ate.

Owain managed to stuff two sandwiches into his mouth for his first bite before Robin scolded him, saying he should eat properly and causing him to apologize.

"Mmm... Did you make these, Mother?" Morgan asked. "They're really good."

She nodded in reply, before adding, "And Yui helped me, too."

"Really?" He turned to his younger sister, who had sauce all over her face.

"Chrom, help her clean up, please," Robin laughed.

Chrom handed her a napkin and she wiped her face, mumbling a "sorry".

Morgan proceeded to joke about how much she and Owain were alike when it came to eating, while Chrom began to tell Yui about how he was taught table manners when he was in FE:A.

Noticing Lucina's silence as she ate, Robin turned to her.

"Lucina?" She called out. "Is everything alright?"

Lucina looked up to see her mother there with a kind smile on her face.

"Nothing, Mother," she returned a smile. "I'm just hungry, is all."

"I see," Robin replied. "So, how are your studies going? Of course, I can help you, if you'd like."

The princess pondered that for a minute before answering.

"... Well, I'm having trouble catching up on this country's history, but everything else is alright."

"Alright, then. After we finish eating, I'll help you to study," she declared.

"Thank you, Mother."

A few seconds passed before Robin decided to speak again.

"What are you planning on majoring in, Lucina?" She asked.

"... I honestly don't know yet," Lucina admitted. "I was thinking of maybe working with you or Father. But then I realized that could be problematic."

"Of course not, dear," Robin reassured her. "If it's something you truly want to do, then do it, as long as you're not harming yourself or others."

"Oh. I see," Lucina said. "Well, I think I still need to think about it."

"Very well. I'm going to do everything I can to help you out in this world, Lucina. I love you," she told her. "I don't say it nearly enough."

Lucina smiled.

"Thank you so much, Mother... For everything you've ever done for me. Even if I'm not your real daughter, you still treat me as one all the same, which I'm grateful for," she said.

"Of course. You're a real daughter to me, no matter from what world," Robin responded. "And a parent's job is to love and take care of their children."

Suddenly they heard a belch from where Owain and Morgan were sitting.

"Morgan!" Owain exclaimed. "How uncouth of you!"

"What?!" Morgan frowned. "That was you!"

"I beg to differ."

"I don't!"

Robin laughed before getting up from her seat.

"Excuse me. I have to use the restroom."

She began to walk towards the exit of the dining hall before they heard a loud thud on the floor.

"Robin!" Chrom bolted up from his seat and saw her on the ground.

He held her in his arms, his voice full of concern.

"What happened?" He asked.

"I'm fine. It's just my knees. They still don't feel one hundred percent yet... But don't worry, I'll be alright. I just need to get used to walking."

Chrom helped her up and assisted her in walking to the restroom after instructing the children to continue eating.

"Um, Chrom? You really don't need to do this," she told him on the way there.

"Oh, but I do," he replied. "It's my duty to see that my wife's needs are fulfilled."

Robin blushed.

"That's going a little too far, don't you think?"

"Actually, no."

She laughed and allowed him to escort her there before he finally let go of her.

"Can you make it back on your own?"

"Chrom, this isn't a three-day expedition, it's a trip to the bathroom," she told him with a smile. "I'll be fine."

"You always say that, but you don't always mean it."

"Well, this time, I assure you I mean it."

She sighed.

"Never in my life will I deserve someone as overprotective and caring as you."

"Hey, that's my line," Chrom smiled. "I should head back now."

"Yeah," she agreed, and he did.

After he left, she laughed to herself.

"That dummy..."

* * *

Author's Note: And scene! Thank you for reading! Okay, so now that I have my schedule planned out, I'm thinking I'll upload 1-2 times a week now, more likely one, though. However, if I have a break, then I'll likely spend it writing. So you can expect the next chapter to be out sometime next week. Anyways, please leave feedback if you enjoyed and enjoy the rest of your weekend!


	16. Part 2- Chapter 1

Review Responses:  
NotSoGreatGamerGirl: Hmm... That's a good question... Someday she'll find out! Thank you for your review, per the norm!

Astriani- Thank you so much! And also, congrats on starting your writing journey! Writing stories is seriously one of the most fun and best things I've ever decided to do, and I hope you feel the same way as you create your own fanfics! Good luck!

* * *

Robin and Chrom sat next to each other, across the table from a man with dark brown hair and similarly colored eyes, Kikoua Seijirou.

"Congratulations on your marriage," he said. "I'm glad you two decided to come."

"Thank you," Chrom told him, secretly half-heartedly. "What is it you wanted to tell us?"

"Well, before I say anything, I'd like to inform you that Mrs. Ylisse is under fire with many of the executives at Dream Co. for alleged manipulation of in-game tools and interference with player quests."

Robin frowned.

"That wasn't me," she said firmly. "I was locked in a separate server the whole time while someone else used my avatar."

"I'm quite aware of that," he took a sip from his coffee. "But we cannot seem to locate the person who was using your account. It seems he was quite skilled in leaving behind his tracks."

"... I don't know," she responded truthfully.

"I thought you would say that," Kikoua said. "So I would like to enlighten you on what I have found from my research."

The waiter came and brought coffee for Chrom and Robin, placing the steaming hot cups in front of them.

"It seems your avatar was not being controlled by a person, but rather, an extremely intelligent AI."

Both of their hearts froze when they heard that.

"You're familiar with him, I see? GRIMA, the project Grima Co. plotted to create as the world scrambled over what was happening within FE:A. Grima Co's top researchers went into hiding while they created him from some of the country's most advanced FullDive technology. However, the information you gave us lead us to see that in your alleged future, it took you six years to beat the game rather than four. After you left the game, as a test they applied the time-speed converter to the game and time passed faster there, causing your children to age. That aside, though, GRIMA was never completed fully in this timeline."

"... Then how did he manage to control my account?" Robin asked.

"Note that I said 'never completed fully' rather than 'never completed'. The prototype of GRIMA was finished just before you exited the game, and was released into the cybernetwork as the secret laboratory was discovered. However, the scientists inside blew up the whole area just as military forces arrived, destroying themselves and all their work. That was when GRIMA infiltrated the newly released Yume Online and snatched Robin from FE:A as she was logged out to make her his host."

Robin's eyes widened.

"So that means... He had me the whole time?"

Kikoua nodded.

"That is correct. However, I assume this GRIMA's powers are much weaker than his future counterpart's understandably, as in the future he had no need for a host after hacking into NAGA's network."

He took another sip from his cup.

"Yet this time's GRIMA knew that he would eventually disappear if he did not take a host soon. However, he was not able to take over fully, only managing to separate your consciousness from your avatar and took over your virtual body. The program he used to do this, though, could only be manifested in the game. He chose to create a mask and hide within it to maintain control over your avatar, eventually creating his own cult of Grimleal, giving them gold and skills as rewards for joining. Over time, if he had remained in control of your body, he would have gained full control after two months."

"Two months? I was in the game for about one," she recalled.

"Yes. It's fortunate your children were able to destroy the mask... But at a cost, it seems," he pondered. "I'm sorry about your son."

They looked down.

"Wait, if you know all of this, then why are they still blaming me?" Robin asked him.

"It's simple. They want someone to shift it onto, to avoid the company's reputation being skewed. And the most reasonable scapegoat they could find is you."

"But it's not my fault!" Robin shot back.

"Like I said before, I know. However, they deny the existence of GRIMA all the same. Perhaps I can convince them," he said. "But I need something in exchange from you to validate my claim."

"Is this what you brought us here for?" Chrom narrowed his eyes.

"Indeed it is," Kikoua replied, with no intention of sugar-coating. "I need to enlist your help in a mystery that could very well be linked with GRIMA."

He opened a holographic panel in front of them.

"I don't know if you've heard yet, but there's been news of player's accounts being hacked internally and stolen," the news in front of them showed a picture of five avatars in GGO. "They were all suddenly logged out forcefully and can't access their accounts, which can't be tracked anymore. Even an administrator doesn't have that kind of hold on a game."

He looked up from his cup.

"I imagine you know what this means."

"... If you mean what I think you mean, then yes," Robin said. "But why would GRIMA want their accounts? If they're not like me, I can't seem to find another reason."

"Exactly. Which is why I want you, Mr. Ylisse, to investigate," he told Chrom. "If you can any find substantial information, then you will be paid monetarily and then will have gathered evidence that your wife is innocent."

He turned to Robin.

"I highly suggest that you do not accompany him, Mrs. Ylisse," he said. "Otherwise, GRIMA might try to take over your body again. And this time, it's likely he'll succeed."

"Wait, if GRIMA is such a big threat, why aren't you hiring a task force to take care of this?" Chrom asked.

"If we were to do that, then GRIMA would likely escape to another game and wreak havoc there. At the moment, GRIMA is only limited to virtual video games. However, if he manages to hack into NAGA's network like he did in the future, it will be too late. You see, the more games he plays, the more accustomed he becomes to hacking and controlling data, eventually becoming more and more powerful. I believe that he is taking over several accounts at once to help strengthen his ties to the game. However, we cannot let him know what we're onto him. Which is why I'm asking you to do this."

Chrom pondered it over.

"... Fine. But under one condition," he said.

"And what is that?"

"I get to take one person with me."

"Hmm... Who do you have in mind?"

"My daughter, Yui."

"Very well."

He stood up.

"Thank you for making the right choice."

Chrom and Robin looked at each other, and began to converse as soon as he left.

"Do you really think we can trust him?" Chrom asked.

"I can't say," Robin said, deep in thought. "But at the moment we can't refuse."

"It's your reputation on the line, isn't it?" He realized. "In a way, he's kind of blackmailing us."

"Yes," she sighed. "But like I said, it's not something we can refuse."

* * *

They then went home and shoveled the driveway, covered in a thick layer of snow.

"Wow, it's snowing a lot more than it had four years ago," Robin commented, burying her face in her scarf.

"Yeah," Chrom agreed, scooping up the snow with his shovel.

While Robin's back was turned, he picked up a handful of snow and packed it into his gloved hands before throwing it at the back of her neck.

"EEK!" She screamed, before turning around, her cheeks reddened in her rage.

"HEY!" She yelled, hurling her shovel at him.

He narrowly dodged it and threw another one at her for playful insult.

In her anger, Robin tackled him into the snow, causing him to laugh.

"What was that for?!" She demanded.

In his childishness, Chrom flipped her over and pinned her to the ground, making her even more angry.

"CHROM!" She screamed.

"Okay, okay," he conceded before chuckling and getting off of her.

"W-What's so funny?" Robin asked in an attempt to hide her own laughter.

"Heh... This reminds me of the first time we had a training match together," he recalled.

Her cheeks flushed even more at that and she sat up, now covered in snow.

"At least this time you didn't break one of my ribs!" She huffed.

It was a few weeks after Robin joined the Shepherds, and she was slicing open a training dummy when Chrom approached her.

"Hello, Robin," he said from behind.

Robin turned around, wiping sweat from her brow.

"Hello, Chrom. How can I help you?"

He held up two practice swords.

"I was wondering if you could show me your strength up close and personal."

"Huh?" Robin looked at the weapons in confusion. "You want to train with me? I'm pretty weak, truthfully."

"Don't say that," he tossed one of them to her, and she caught it. "I've seen your skill on the battlefield."

She observed the wooden sword curiously.

"Well, on the battlefield, I'm usually using magic," she said. "I'm a lot better at it than sword-fighting."

"Okay, fine," Chrom sighed. "But at least show me what you've got."

"Fine," Robin finally agreed, taking her stance as Chrom took his.

She could literally imagine Falchion in his hands instead of that flimsy plank of wood, but he held it just as cautiously and dangerously.

Robin breathed deeply, calming herself before Chrom lunged at her, causing her to block.

She was an expert at using one-handed swords rather than two because it gave her more mobility, she felt. And somehow, she felt more used to it. Like she had already done it before, somewhere. Looking back now that she was out of FE:A, it was because of a game that Grima Co. had made before that was similar to Awakening, and there she had specialized in using one-handed swords.

They continued to spar as Chrom kept her on her toes, slashing at her relentlessly. They crossed swords, Chrom's strength forcing Robin back before she used her free left hand to punch him in the gut, catching him off guard. He lost his footing and stumbled back as Robin went on the offensive and stabbed at him with the precision of a sniper.

"Heh, two can play at that game," Chrom laughed before sweeping his foot back and tripping her, causing her to fall onto her back.

He held his sword to her throat, standing over her.

"Done?" He asked.

Robin pretended to pant heavily before she gripped her sword and smirked, "Not yet."

In one fluid motion she hit his sword back, pushing Chrom away as she jumped back up, forcing him to back up.

Chrom then charged at her, Robin preparing to dodge the strike when he tripped over a large rock lodged in the ground and toppled onto her, crashing them both down.

"Urgh..." Robin moaned.

"Robin! Oh gods, I'm so sorry!" He apologized frantically. "Are you hurt?"

She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to make the pain go away.

"... I think- ugh, it's my rib," she said.

"I'll get you to Lissa," he told her before kneeling down to pick her up.

"Chrom!" She exclaimed. "Put me down!"

"Would you rather walk?" He asked.

"... No," she admitted. "But it'll be embarrassing, being carried through the camp like a child..."

"So you're embarrassed to be with me?" He asked again, this time hurt present in his voice.

"What? No! That's not- Ugh! Just, please, take me to Lissa," she sighed.

"My pleasure," he said, and did just that.

Remembering that silly memory caused Robin to smile.

"How did you trip like that, anyways?" Robin asked him.

"There was a rock in the ground," Chrom explained.

"A rock," the tactician rolled her eyes before standing up and brushing the snow off. "Alright, we can play with the kids all you want after we finish shoveling this snow."

"Really?" Chrom's eyes lit up just like Yui's did. "If that's the case, then I better get back to work!"

Robin smiled, finding his childish aura amusing. Ever since she had come to the real world she had noticed a change in him. When she was trapped in that cage and observed Chrom, he was always tense, even outside of battle. It was like he was wearing an invisible, heavy backpack weighing him down. The look in his eyes was distant, and sometimes it seemed like he was in another world. Robin couldn't help but feel guilty for being the cause of that. And when she came back, he had reverted to his old self, the one that took walks with her in the palace garden and smashed holes in the wall during training. She liked that Chrom much better. If it meant staying by his side for the rest of her life to see him like that, then she would gladly do it.

Chrom finished his part of the driveway while Robin continued to clear hers.

"Hey, do you mind if I get the kids now?" Chrom asked her.

"Make sure they've finished their homework," Robin called out before sighing. "I feel far too young for this..."

Her husband laughed before running back inside to get them.

A few minutes later, Yui and Morgan bustled out of the house in jackets and scarves, their hands clothed with gloves.

"Where's Lucina?" Robin asked.

Chrom sighed.

"She says she has studying to do," he replied. "I told her that she should take a break, but she refused."

"Lucina..." Her voice trailed off, a worried look on her face.

"Don't worry about her," Chrom placed a hand on her shoulder, looking her in the eye.

"I'm can't help it," she admitted, looking down at her boots. "Lucina's been acting so aloof and detached recently. I think she feels out of place here."

"I know what you mean," Chrom said. "I told her the same thing you did. That she'd always have a home with us."

"Do you think she's thinking of leaving?" Robin gasped.

Chrom shook his head.

"I don't know."

Just then, Yui ran up to them, snow speckling her large hat while a fluffy scarf covered most of her face, her brown eyes peering out at them.

"Mommy, Daddy! Aren't you gonna play with us?" She asked excitedly.

"Of course," Robin smiled at her. "Chrom?"

"Yeah," he replied. "Okay, how about boys versus girls?"

"Alright!" Yui agreed, clutching her mother's arm. "Mommy and I are gonna win this!"

"We'll see about that!" Morgan responded heatedly.

"On my mark," Chrom said, causing Robin to grin. "Start in 3... 2... 1!"

It turned out that Robin and Yui in fact did win, the former using her tactics to secure a victory.

"A good tactician has nothing to fear," she said proudly, patting her daughter's head.

"Wow! You're so cool, Mommy!" Yui exclaimed in awe.

By now they were all exhausted and headed inside for hot chocolate. As they sipped on the sweet drinks, Robin looked upstairs towards the hall where Lucina's room was.

"I'm gonna go check on Lucina, okay?" Robin said to her husband.

She headed upstairs and knocked on the door.

"Lucina?" Robin called out. "May I come in?"

* * *

Meanwhile, Chrom approached Yui, who frowned at her mug of sweet chocolate.

"Ow!" She exclaimed, sticking out her tongue to look at it. "Daddy, why does it hurt?"

"I think you burned your tongue, Yui," Chrom explained with an amused smile. "I take it in the game, all the drinks were at the perfect temperature?"

"Yeah!" Yui pouted before blowing on it carefully to cool it a bit. "But I don't really mind. Not everyone goes the way you want it to, after all."

"Right," Chrom sat down next to her, his mug of coffee in front of him.

Seeing his serious expression, she looked at him curiously.

"... Daddy? Are you mad at me?" She asked lightly. "Did I do anything bad?"

"Hm? No, of course not," he assured her. "I just wanted to ask you something."

"What is it?"

"... I'm taking a job," he began to say. "And I don't think I can do it alone."

He looked her in the eye, and it never ceased to amaze him how identical her brown orbs looked to Robin's.

"So I'm asking you for help," he requested of her. "If you don't want to, you don't have to."

"... I'll do it," she responded almost immediately with a grin. "Anything to help you, Daddy!"

"Are you sure?" He asked. "Perhaps I should explain to you first."

And he did that, telling her about what had happened at the café as she listened carefully,

"Well, if it's for Mommy and you get paid, then I'll help," she told him. "I'll make sure Mommy is proved to be innocent! I won't let them take her away again!"

"Thank you," he said with a smile. "We'll transfer tomorrow."

* * *

Hearing her mother outside in the hall, the princess opened the door.

"Hello, Mother. Is there anything you need?" She asked politely.

"Well, I've been meaning to talk to you," the tactician said calmly. "Do you mind?"

"No," Lucina replied. "Come in."

They sat down on Lucina's bed, Robin noticing the open books and papers on her desk.

"You know, when I first joined the Shepherds-" Robin began to say with a small smile. "I felt so out of place. But Chrom, your father... He welcomed me with open arms and made the camp feel like home. Eventually I felt like I had lived my whole life with the Shepherds. They were like a family to me, and they still are."

Lucina listened curiously.

"But I always felt like something was missing. I couldn't put my finger on it at first, but then it was crystal clear that day," she sighed. "Whenever I was around your father I would feel... Strange. My chest would swell and heat and I could literally feel my heart beating within me. And when he left, that feeling would go away, and with it left a hole. It felt void, dull of emotion. Whenever he would talk to some other woman in the army, an angry swirl of sadness and rage would fill that hole up."

Robin began to play with the buttons on her sweater, a rare sight of distraction.

"That empty hole grew bigger when I thought that he was going to marry someone else. But then, I gradually began to realize it. I pushed away that empty hole and calmed myself. Then I saw that maybe, just maybe, he reciprocated my feelings for him."

Lucina smiled, fascinated by the story being told to her.

"Looking back on it, it was rather obvious," she sighed with a smile. "I was too caught up in my own feelings to realize that he loved me as well."

Pausing a moment to phrase her words, she then continued.

"And the moment he proposed to me, my life took another turn. I wasn't sure at first what to do. As soon as I arrived at the palace, the dirty rumors began to surface. They were downright awful, nasty even. But then I realized that what they think doesn't matter. I didn't marry Chrom to be queen, or for riches or power, but because I love him."

She looked Lucina in the eye, the Brand slightly visible in her left one.

"And from that love came you," she told her warmly. "You are my treasure, Lucina. I want you to know how precious you are to me, and your father. If you ever left, I don't know what we'd do."

Lucina's lower lip began to tremble, and she broke out in tears, falling into her mother's arms.

"Oh, Mother!" She cried.

"It's alright, dear," Robin comforted her.

"B-But I nearly killed you in the game! If I had, then-"

"Lucina, we've already gotten past this," her mother insisted. "I forgive you, and I still love you all the same."

"If I stay here, I'll just be a burden," Lucina tried to say through her sobs. "So I thought if I stayed quiet, you wouldn't miss me so much."

"I'd miss you just as much!" Robin said.

"... I know," Lucina wiped her eyes.

"Look, you don't have to live in this house forever if you don't want to," the tactician explained. "But I want you to promise me that you'll always keep in touch with us for the rest of your life. You need to know what it's like to have parents who love you, for the sake of my other self."

"I promise," the princess said. "I'm sorry, Mother."

"No, it's alright, Lucina," Robin wiped away the tears on her daughter's jaw. "I know your heart is in the right place."

After a minute or so of silence, Lucina spoke.

"Say, Mother, could you perchance tell me another story about you and Father? I do quite enjoy them," she asked.

"You do? So does Yui," Robin laughed. "But alright. Hmmm... Let me think... Do you have any ideas in mind that you'd like to hear?"

"Well," her daughter began to say. "I've always wanted to hear a silly story about you two."

"Silly?" She laughed. "Well, considering it's Chrom- I mean, your father we're talking about here, there's plenty of silly things to share. Now I've just got to think about which one to share..."

Her eyes lit up.

"I know! Okay, so I'm not sure if this passes as silly, but one day, I decided to visit a nearby river to relax a bit and unwind," she explained. "Being a tactician is pretty taxing on your mind, you know. That aside, though, I ventured along the side of the water and eventually stumbled across a beautiful waterfall. It had the water as clear as the purest glass, and I could see all the way down to the bottom of the river."

Recalling the memory, she could still remember the rippling of the water and the way the sun shone in such a way that the water looked illuminated. The next day, she decided, she'd come with preparations to do some real relaxing.

"Ahh," Robin sighed, slipping into the surprisingly warm and pleasant water. "Wow, it's like a spa here..."

It was a very nice day, and the water was heater by the rays of the sun beautifully. Hopefully no one else found this place, she hoped.

Then, she ventured closer to the waterfall, allowing the rushing water to fall onto her back as she sat under the front of it. How nice it felt, almost like she was getting a massage. She let her long white hair hang down in front of her, floating nearly weightlessly in the water.

The tactician stayed there for almost an hour before she decided to leave, wrapping a towel she brought around her, tying it securely around above her chest. She'd have to dry off a bit before she could put her clothes back on. In the meantime, she sat down on a nearby rock with a book on the history of Valm in her hand.

Robin had read only a few paragraphs before she heard a sickening moaning noise behind her and the rustling of a bush. Two pairs of glowing red eyes emerged from the shadows and staggered towards her, one of them with a sword and the other with an axe.

"Risen?!" She thought in a panic, shuffling through her cloak to find a tome, however there were none to be found. "Dammit!"

They advanced towards her, bodies lanky yet frightful as the reality of it sank in.

"... I'm such an idiot," she scolded herself harshly in her head. "Now I'm going to die, where no one can see me or hear me, and leave the army without a tactician..."

In truth, she had taken this excursion for one main reason: to get her mind off Chrom. He occupied her thoughts unconsciously, like a virus. Her duties required that she be constantly at his side, and she feared she would be reduced to a blathering mess around him. Things got worse when she feared he held romantic feelings for someone else; probably Sumia. She could tell from his behavior that he had someone like that on his mind. And to top it all off, he had noticeably been avoiding her recently, keeping their meetings to a bare minimum and even then, leaving the first chance he got.

It made her bend back to reality and realize that she had to sever these silly feelings for him before it was too late, and distance herself. Now, however, she wanted him to be here more than ever.

"I'm sorry, Chrom..." She thought remorsefully.

She closed her eyes for a moment, accepting the fate that lay before her.

That moment seemed like eternity.

Then something snapped from within her.

"No," she thought. "I won't give up! If I don't fight, then I won't live!"

Robin once more checked her cloak for something to aid her, but again found nothing.

The Risen inched closer, only about fifteen feet away from her and counting.

Suddenly she found the sense to check her folded pants and found a small dagger hanging off the side of the buckle. She had kept it just in case, Robin remembered.

The white-haired tactician unsheathed it and gazed at her reflection in the blade.

"I can do this," she said to herself quietly, leveling it in front of her. Hopefully the dagger lessons she had taken from Gaius would pay off.

The Risen began to run towards her, closing the gap more and more.

"HYAHH!" Robin charged towards the first one with a sword, slicing his forearm off, causing it to fall to the ground. The zombie-like creature gargled purple smoke at her, kicking her in the gut.

She stumbled back and reached down to pick up the sword on the ground that belonged to her Risen friend, wielding it with ease.

She barely managed to parry the strike from the axe wielding Risen, before striking back sharply.

But it wasn't enough.

The Risen would not fall, no matter how she injured them.

Robin panted heavily, her vision blurring. It felt like her lungs had sand poured in them, and her body was stiff and heavy.

"I won't let it end like this!" She persisted, raising her sword.

However, she was too slow to properly block the attack that followed and the axe managed to lightly graze her cheek, causing blood to drip down onto her jaw and neck.

"I... I won't... Give in..." She thought, the edges of her sight blackening gradually. "As long... As I am alive... I will fight for my life... And for the lives of the others..."

The sword in her hand weighed her down, her arm feeling like it was on fire, flames of pain shooting up her muscles.

She backed up to the river's edge, nearly falling in.

The Risen raised his axe, and she knew she didn't have the strength to dodge or block.

Suddenly a familiar metal stabbed through the Risen's gut, mere inches away from her when it slashed upwards, cleaving right through the monster's body as it disappeared. Apparently he had taken out the other one, too, because there was no one behind him.

"C-Chrom..." She choked out, barely audible.

But he heard, and ran towards her, catching her as she collapsed from exhaustion.

"Robin! Robin... Oh gods, please, no, don't take her, too..." He held her in his arms, begging her to stay alive.

She could barely muster the strength to squeeze his hand back before she blacked out completely.

"And then what happened?" Lucina asked when her mother stopped.

"Well, you'll have to ask your father about the rest," she winked playfully before standing up.

"Come, Lucina. Let's have some dinner."

"Yes, Mother," she replied, a genuine smile present on her usually stoic face. Robin was glad Inigo was giving her some smiling lessons; she needed them more than anyone. But it also meant that when she did, she was doing it not out of forced will but of her own volition.

It was starting to become a normal thing.

Which, of course, was good.

* * *

Author's Note: I'm back from the land of I-don't-have-time-to-write! I had a pretty crazy journey, but that aside, I'm glad I managed to finish another chapter and some other plans for this story this soon. Since I felt bad for not updating as frequently as I like, I decided to add some extra fluff in this chapter, which I assume you either enjoyed or hated, lol. Thankfully I haven't had much homework lately, but that's probably gonna change knowing my luck, lol. Also, the name and summary are going to change a bit, just as a heads- up. Anyways, please leave oh-so-valued feedback if you enjoyed, and stay tuned for the next chapter!


	17. Part 2- Chapter 2

Review Responses:

NotSoGreatGamerGirl: Omg it really makes my day when someone leaves a review saying I get to their feels, lol. I'm glad you're enjoying my writing and thank you as always!

ilovefonandalaude: Heehee, I know you've been waiting for this chapter, and here it is! Thank you for your patience!

Sparrow McGraw: Thank you, I will! Please stay updated!

GuestWithIdeas: You'll just have to see, haha! I'm planning on going into more detail on both of those subjects in one of the next few chapters, and it's like you read my mind! Thank you for your great review, and I'll definitely update when I can!

* * *

The next thing he knew, Chrom was spawned in GGO.

"Where's Yui?" He thought immediately, spinning around to find her. She was nowhere to be seen. His first instinct was to message her, but then he remembered that she wasn't on his friend list in this game.

He sighed and spun around, facing the building behind him. It was black yet glossy, so he could see his reflection.

At first, he was taken aback by how his hair was now black rather than blue, and his eyes were a dark charcoal gray. He wore a black shirt with one sleeve on the left arm, with gray gloves. Over this he had gray armor on, and black pants with dark gray boots.

"Well, I suppose it's for the better so that GRIMA doesn't recognize me," he thought.

"Daddy!" A voice shouted from behind her, and he saw Yui running towards him. Her hair was also now a silky black and her eyes were the same as his. She wore clothes similar to the ones she wore in Yume Online, except these were more black rather than the deep plum purple color they were in that game. Her light purplish-black chest armor had no sleeves and hung off her left shoulder, while a thick leather strap held up the other side. Underneath she had a darker sleeveless top that started at her throat and stopped near the middle of her thighs. Over her armor she wore a black jacket with many pockets the sleeves rolled up. On her legs she had tall, thick stockings and black shoes.

"Wow, I look weird with black hair," she commented. "But it looks pretty good on you, Daddy!"

"You look beautiful, Yui," he told her.

"Really? Aww, that's so sweet! No wonder Mommy fell in love with you!"

"Uhh..." His cheeks flushed. "Well, anyways, we should get to work."

"Yeah," Yui nodded.

"Alright, Yui, GGO is set to real time, so we only have three hours here," Chrom informed her. Since this was for "job-related" reasons, they had an extended period of time.

"Okay," she replied, craning her neck around. "Well, we should buy some weapons first. According to the database, the weapons shop should be this way."

The girl gestured for him to follow, and he did. Eventually she led him to a building where there were gun displays inside, holographic images floating and showing the models.

"Hmm, since you're a strength-agility type, apparently a good gun for you would be-" She paused, tracing Chrom's gaze to the energy swords.

"You want a sword, Daddy?" She asked curiously.

"Huh? Oh, well," he began to say. "I was just thinking it would be easier for me to use..."

"Well, they're not that popular in this game, but if you want to use it," she smiled, walking over to the display and observing it.

"Oh, right... We don't have enough money," she remembered. "With what little we have, we could probably only buy a cheap holster."

"I see..." Chrom pondered. "Well, is there anywhere we can get some credits?"

"Hmm, apparently there's a casino with a gambling game over there called 'Untouchable!'," she turned to the other side of the room. "But it's never been won before."

"Never?" He looked at it observingly. "How does it work?"

"Well, the ultimate goal is to tag the cowboy NPC. However, to do that, the player has to run through and dodge the bullets that he fires," she points to the robotic cowboy NPC. "But his shots become more rapid and harder to predict as you get closer than him. You need to have an incredible reaction speed to get through."

"Let's check it out," Chrom said, walking towards it while Yui followed.

There were three players near the entrance and a small crowd as well, murmurs and laughs present.

"Alright!" One of the players there said to his friend. "Just watch! I'll get those credits and buy me a shiny new rifle!"

His friends laughed and watched as he paid some credits before starting the game.

The cowboy began yelling some expletives at him before shooting his pistol while Chrom and Yui looked on in interest. The challenger managed to dodge the first three waves of shots before making it to the ten-meter line.

"Can he actually make it?" Someone said from behind them.

The player ran and attempted to dodge to the left, but the shots were too fast and he was hit in the shoulder and leg.

"Damn!" He shouted.

"I'm untouchable," the cowboy smirked, putting away his pistol and resetting.

The crowd began to disperse before Yui stepped forward, garnering some attention.

"I'll give it a shot, okay, Daddy?" She beamed.

"Umm... Are you sure?" He asked her.

"Yes."

She paid the 500 credits due while some of the crowd began to laugh.

"Who does this noob think she is?" One of them snorted.

"She's pretty cute, though," another added, looking her up and down.

Chrom shot that person a murderous look that could have cut steel easily. That took him aback, and he inched farther away from the prince.

He huffed and turned back to Yui, who bolted and sprinted towards the gunman.

"Whoa!"

Awe rose up in the group of spectators as she dodged each bullet flawlessly, rushing through the first two waves in a few seconds.

"I knew Yui was strong, but this..." Chrom thought. "She's dominating!"

The small girl approached the ten-meter line with the speed of a cheetah, and the cowboy's gunfire began to become faster and more random. Yui began to show signs of difficulty at this point, however she never gave up and continued on. She knew that in this game, bullet lines were present, but not in PvP matches as it would give an advantage to snipers. The main reason she was able to dodge the bullets so precisely was because of her insanely high reaction speed. She had spent years within the virtual world, and she was basically a part of it. After all, she had a part of NAGA ingrained into her. It made her feel at somewhat at ease whenever she was online.

The bullet lines appeared, one on her forehead, leg, and arm.

"If I time this right..." She thought before springing herself up into the air, dodging all three bullets.

"The time between the lines and the actual shots are getting closer," she noted.

Chrom watched on as she landed from her impressive flip on both feet before dodging another round. Now the gunman was firing much more rapidly, and as she was two meters away from him. He suddenly shot six lasers, all of them aiming at her chest, before she slid down, the lasers just barely missing the top of her nose as she rushed forward and tagged his shoulder.

A few seconds of stunned silence passed before the robotic cowboy moved.

"NOOOO!" He exclaimed, all the money from the previous attempts flowing out of the top of the house.

"She actually did it!" A guy next to Chrom said in disbelief before Yui ran over to her father, showing him the reward with a grin.

"See? Now we have enough credits to buy stuff for both of us!" She smiled.

"Um..." He stammered. "Yui? How exactly did you do that?"

She beamed and held his hand, swinging it back and forth as they walked away from the crowd, who looked at them in shock.

"I was only able to win that game because..." She began to tell him. "I have the highest reaction time in this game."

"You do?" Chrom asked. "How do you know?"

"Well, it took time to develop. It was actually pretty slow when I first fought you, but by the time we battled Mirage and the other players, I was second only to Hiro," she explained. "That was why he was able to save Mommy in time... I saw it coming, but I wasn't fast enough... Maybe I could have..."

"It's not your fault," he told her, holding her hand tighter. "The reality of it is only Hiro could have done anything about it... And he did."

Seeing her sad and gloomy expression, he smiled at her.

"Hey, what happened to my little sunshine girl?" He asked, causing Yui to laugh.

"I'm right here, Daddy!" She grinned.

"Oh, there you are," he replied jokingly. "Now, let's buy some weapons from the shop and then we can practice."

"Okay!"

Chrom purchased an energy sword and a pistol, while Yui decided to follow after his example and do the same. However, she chose a revolver rather than a pistol.

"Alright, Daddy, let's go to the shooting range," Yui suggested.

They did so, and upon entering saw a short person in a gray cloak, a hood and cloth mask covering his face. He paid them no attention, and the two walked to a target a few away from him.

"Have you ever fired a gun before?" Yui asked.

"No," Chrom replied.

"Okay, well, let's see," she held her revolver, leveling it to the target. "So, there's a circle around your shot called a bullet circle. It means that the bullet could shoot anywhere in that circle."

Chrom mimicked her movements, and saw the white circle shifting around the line of the shot.

"Hmm... How do you make it smaller?"

"Apparently you have to calm down so your heart rate doesn't go up. The higher it goes, the bigger the circle will get. So it's wise to stay calm," she informed him. "But since I'm an agility-dexterity type, my bullet circle is a bit smaller. That means I can make more accurate shots."

"I see," he said. "Okay, I'll try it."

He held his pistol the way Yui showed him, and fired. Yui brought the target closer forward to reveal that he hit on the outermost ring of the target.

"Huh... Well at least I hit it at all," he sighed.

"It's okay, Daddy. Besides, your main weapon is an energy sword, right?"

"Yeah, I suppose so."

Suddenly they heard the sound of another pistol, coming from the target the cloaked man was using. It hit the outermost ring dead in the center, then the middle, and then the bulls-eye.

"Whoa," Yui said. "He's good."

"Yeah," her father agreed. "But he's probably been in this game longer than us. After all, we just started today."

After a pause, Yui spoke.

"I can't help but feel a little guilty... Like I'm cheating. Since I have some of NAGA's power, I can see and access things normal players can't."

Chrom placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry about it. We're going to use that power for good..." He told her. "To end GRIMA. He's the one who took her... He's the one who planned to take her away forever."

He clenched his fist.

"I'll never let him do that again."

"... They're going to take Mommy away if we can't, right? They'll arrest her?" Yui asked fearfully.

Chrom shook his head.

"No. I won't allow that to happen," he said.

They didn't say anything for a while before they noticed other people at the shooting range running out towards where the TV screens were. Chrom and Yui followed them to see a GGO reporter on the screen.

"Attention, players of Gun Gale Online. Two more additional accounts have been hacked and stolen along with the original five. Zaskar has yet to release an official statement, however, please make sure you have your accounts secured to prevent yours being stolen as well. If needed, change your password. More information coming soon."

"Two more?" Chrom said in disbelief. "At this rate..."

"Wait! Daddy, I think I know what's going on!" She gasped. "He's going to use those accounts in BoB!"

"BoB? Isn't that the big tournament they're having in a few days?" He asked.

She nodded in reply.

"I think he can only steal accounts when they either die or log out. So by killing all the other players in one place under the pretext of trying to win the tournament, he can gain more accounts and solidify his hold on the network," she explained. "But, in order for him to do that, he needs to be in the game himself. I don't believe he's strong enough to do it externally yet, but I could be wrong."

"So we need to join BoB and find him?" Chrom asked her.

"Yes. However, it's going to be hard to find him. And we're going to have to win the preliminary matches first... Then, the most dangerous part: He might take our accounts. The only way we could prevent that is to not die while he's in range."

She paused to think.

"Hmm... How much time do we have left, Daddy?"

"Let me check..." He opened up his menu. "About an hour and a half."

"In that time, we can register for BoB and practice some shooting in the meantime."

He agreed, and they began to make their way towards the building where registration took place. It turns out that with their luck, it was on the other side of the city and it took them about thirty minutes to get there by foot.

"Nothing like a good march," Chrom commented as they arrived.

"Hm? Didn't you march a lot farther than this?" Yui questioned him.

"Yes, actually. At least three times as far."

"Wow, that must be tiring."

"It was at first, but once you get used to it, it's like a walk in the park."

"Oh."

They at last made it to registration, and they began to fill out the forms, leaving out their home address and other sensitive information. After they were done, Chrom checked the time.

"We don't have much time left, and we won't be able to make it back to the shooting range in time. How about we stop for today?"

"Okay," Yui nodded.

They both logged out, and woke up in their beds in the hospital room to see Robin there, in her nurse uniform, her long white hair tied up high on either side of her head as she smiled at them.

* * *

"R-Robin?" Chrom asked in shock. "You're our nurse?"

"Yes," she replied with a grin. "I wanted to keep it a secret."

He sluggishly sat up.

"Are you sure you're okay to do this? You don't need more rest?"

"I'm fine, Chrom. Don't worry about me."

"There it is again," he frowned.

"I'm serious."

Yui hopped off of her bed and slipped on her shoes before darting over to Robin and hugging her, resting her head on her chest. Robin, in return, stroked her daughter's long blue satiny hair affectionately.

Chrom did the same but without the hyper energy, walking over to them.

"Let's go home," he said.

"Yeah," Robin agreed.

As they were leaving the hospital, Yui walked between her parents and held their hands happily. Her smile radiated an aura of cheer and joy, not just to her parents but all who passed them. A smile, indeed, was a powerful thing.

When they came home, they ate lunch while Chrom did some work and Robin read books with Yui. After her two siblings came home, they ate dinner and talked about their day as Lissa, Frederick, and Owain joined them. Suddenly the doorbell rang and Robin went to go answer it. Chrom's stomach dropped when he heard her begin to scream.

"Robin!" He rushed towards her the second he heard her, and was horrified to see some police officers trying to handcuff her.

"No! Let me go! I didn't do anything!" She protested.

"Get your hands off of her!" Chrom shouted, trying to pry them off of her.

They ignored him as he desperately tried to reach Robin, who thrashed and struggled against them.

"Chrom!" She reached out for him, but one of the guards knocked her unconscious, driving Chrom over the edge.

"Chrom!" He could still hear her voice in his head.

"Chrom!"

The blue-haired prince charged forward towards them in blind rage before he woke up in his bed, Robin's hands on his shoulders. She sat in front of him, her brown eyes wide.

"Chrom, are you alright?" She asked worriedly. "You started yelling in your sleep... You were saying my name."

"I..." He pulled her into his embrace. "I had a nightmare."

"It was about me, wasn't it?"

"Yeah..."

After dinner he had finished some work and gone to bed. Those police officers never really came.

"What happened?" Robin asked him.

"They were taking you," he held her tighter. "The government... They were taking you away..."

"I'm not going anywhere," she assured him, looking him in the eye.

"But if I fail-"

"You won't. I know you won't. I believe in you," she smiled. "Just like you believed in me... Remember?"

He did. That time when Robin had demanded that Chrom kill her if Validar took over again, he had told her the exact same thing.

"I don't want to lose you ever again," he admitted. "I promise that no matter what, I will do everything in my power to make sure you'll stay with us here."

Robin didn't reply at first, looking down.

"I'm sorry," she said sorrowfully. "I've caused you so much pain..."

"It's not your fault," he responded. "You did what was right."

Just then, the door slowly creaked open, locks of long blue hair peeking out from behind the door.

"Mommy? Daddy?" Yui asked, her voice higher pitched than usual. "May I come in?"

"Yes, of course," Robin replied. "What is it, Yui?"

"I had a nightmare," she explained. "Would you mind if I slept next to you?"

"Not at all," Chrom told her.

She closed the door and scurried towards their bed, nestling between them like a little hamster looking for heat.

"Are you cold?" Robin asked pulling the covers over them. "I can get you a spare blanket."

Yui shook her head.

"No, I'm alright. But thank you, Mommy."

Chrom adjusted the pillows so she could lay down comfortably as she snuggled up next to them.

"That's better..." She yawned quietly. "Good night, Mommy. Good night, Daddy."

"Good night, Yui," they replied, both kissing her before drifting off to sleep themselves. This time, no nightmares plagued their rest.

* * *

Author's Note: And scene! I know this chapter was pretty short and kind of dull, but that's probably because I need work on writing introductory chapters. I'm assuming you can all guess what the next "arc" of this story is going to be, lol. By the way, I realized that Wendy Marvell from Fairy Tail looks a lot like how I pictured Yui as I wrote, lol. Anyways, I hope you managed to enjoy and constructive feedback is appreciated! Stay tuned for the next chapter!


	18. Part 2- Chapter 3 (1 of 2)

Review Responses:

NotSoGreatGamerGirl: Lol protective daddy Chrom is really fun to write, haha. Especially in M!RobinXLucina fics, heehee.

Tana Satou: Haha, will do! I hope you enjoy the rest of the story!

MewFanGirl: I love bringing the feels *hauls truckload of feels over*, heehee. I'm glad you're enjoying, and I'll definitely try to bring on some more in future chapters!

GuestWithIdeas: Don't worry, I'm not discouraged at all by your review! In fact, you were spot on with most of the things you mentioned. l wanted to make the recent few chapters Yui-centric because I wanted to dig a bit deeper into her personality more, while the other characters such as her siblings have a lot more backstory and personality revealed about them as of course, she is an OC. As for everything else, I decided to re-write a bit and add a few more things to the next chapter, which is part two to this one. Thank you so much for your honesty, I feel that it makes me a better writer, knowing my weak points. Your reviews are always so thoughtful and great, and they're something I always look forward to.

* * *

Robin drove home from work, her shift fortunately ending early. Hopefully there would be something at home for her to eat. And then she would have to help Morgan and Lucina with schoolwork, and take care of little Lucina. Wow, she was sure getting busy. But it wasn't at all displeasing. It actually felt good to be back to a normal life, where she wasn't the host of the most evil dragon of all time. That wasn't to say she wasn't somewhat glad she had been in that game, as from it she had met Chrom and had her children, and made some of the best friends she ever had. That, she was grateful for.

Speaking of friends, though, she hadn't really spoken with any of them recently. Olivia had called a few days after she had woken up, and Sumia and Cordelia as well. However, she hadn't heard much else recently from anyone else. Jin's words suddenly resurfaced in her mind, sending a chill up her spine.

"All your other petty little friends couldn't care less about you. They know you haven't woken up and don't care. They're far too busy with their own lives to worry about you anymore."

Wait, no. That's not true, she reminded herself. They came to help save her when she had been taken captive by GRIMA.

But now there was another situation at hand. She could possibly be thrown in jail for something she obviously did not do. How could she be given admin abilities while she was asleep for nearly four years? Obviously, none of it lined up. Like Seijirou had said, they were pinning the blame on her to save their company's reputation, as it would be foolish to blame an AI that "didn't exist".

It was just one thing after another. Get trapped in virtual world. Try to leave virtual world. Get captured again. Get blamed for something you didn't do.

She took a deep breath, letting everything in and out. No, she wouldn't receive this. She would deal with it in a reasonable manner.

Soon she was home, and noticed cars parked in their driveway.

"What?" She thought as she exited her car, rushing inside.

What was going on?

Using her keys to open the door, she found herself greeted by all her fellow Shepherds.

"Surprise!"

She saw Morgan shoot confetti into the air from a popper, the colorful bits of paper falling on her head.

"W-What?" She said, taken aback. "This is..."

"Your surprise welcome back party!" Sumia exclaimed, clapping her hands together in excitement. "We're sorry it's so late, we wish we could have done it sooner!"

"Everyone, you..." Her voice drifted up as her eyes filled with tears. "You didn't have to do all this..."

"Of course we did, dear," Maribelle strolled over and led her to the couches by the hand. "Now, now, you mustn't cry!"

"I'm sorry," she hastily raised a sleeve to dry her eyes. "I'm just so overjoyed that I can see you all again."

"We're happy to see you, too!" Nowi beamed. "We all missed you, after all!"

"Us Shepherds are family, right?" Sully smirked. "And a family doesn't go turning their backs on each other."

"Of course," the tactician agreed.

"Besides, Minerva missed you as well!" Cherche held up a black puppy who had the exact same eyes as her wyvern.

"Is that-?"

"Yes, it is! I couldn't bear to leave dear Minerva behind, so they de-virtualized her as a dog. She seems to enjoy this world," the wyvern rider laughed.

Olivia brought over a cup of punch while Cordelia brought a plate of food for her.

"Oh, dear," Robin smiled bashfully. "I feel like a queen..."

"You technically are," Olivia giggled.

"But not in this world..."

"Queen or not, you're still a dear friend, and we owe our lives to you," Cordelia added, placing the food down on a table near the side of the couch.

"Hardly," Robin shook her head. "I'm sure if that was any of you, you would've done the same."

"I would like to think so," Panne looked down. "But I truthfully do not know. What I do know, however, is that you did, and that is what really matters."

"Panne... Everyone... Thank you."

Suddenly Robin felt awkward, wearing her nurse uniform.

"Um, would you mind if I went and changed?"

Soon she came back down the stairs with more comfortable clothes on, her eyes sifting all the familiar faces for Chrom.

Where is he...?

"Robin, my lady," Virion suddenly said. "Why the long face? This is your party, after all."

"Virion! It's good to see you," she said. "I was just... Thinking."

"Tsk tsk, you've done far too much of that, Grandmaster of Ylisse," he clucked, referring to her by her famous title. "Relax! Unwind!"

"Yeah," the Grandmaster laughed.

"Good! Now, if you don't mind, I'll be on my way..." He whisked away as swiftly as he came, causing Robin to sigh with a smile. Nothing has really changed, she thought.

"Robin..."

The tactician spun around to see Tharja leaning against the wall with her arms crossed and a sly smirk on her face.

"Welcome back~" the dark mage purred.

"Tharja," Robin greeted her. "It's good to see you again."

"The pleasure's all mine," she flipped her glossy raven-black hair over her shoulder. "After all, we can't do in a world without you, Robin. Especially not me."

"You all truly think that?"

"I know I do," Tharja replied, turning her head towards the others. "But I'm sure you can ascertain that answer for yourself. Just look around."

She did, seeing all her friends having a great time, enjoying themselves and each other's company. Stahl was stuffing himself with food with Sully chastising him while Vaike and Lon'qu had an arm wrestling contest over the table, the others betting to see who would win. Gaius snuck Cynthia an extra slice of chocolate cake as the pegasus knight snuck back to the game room, where the other children were.

Before Robin could respond to Tharja's statement, she heard Chrom's voice from behind her.

"Robin!" He called out, heading their way.

"Tch," the mage said. "Well, I'd better give you two some privacy..."

"Tharja, wait!" Robin stopped her. "... Thank you."

The dark-haired Plegian woman gave a genuine smile before her black clothes helped her blend into the shadows of the walls.

"Robin!" Chrom said again, causing her to turn around.

"Chrom," she said. "I've been looking for you."

"So have I," he replied with a smile. "Are you enjoying yourself?"

The realization hit her like a wave.

"Don't tell me... You planned all this?"

"Hehe," he grinned. "I guess you could say that."

"You could have told me ahead of time," she grumbled half-heartedly.

"But then it wouldn't have been a surprise," he countered.

"No, I suppose not," Robin finally sighed before smiling herself. "But, yes... I am enjoying myself."

"That's all I needed to know," he said before gesturing to the couches with his head. "Go on, they're waiting for you."

Suddenly he found that Robin was embracing him tightly, her face buried in his shoulder.

"Thank you, Chrom," she whispered. "Being with everyone again... It's like a dream."

He returned it before answering.

"Of course," he told her. "I missed everyone, too."

Chrom let her go gently.

"Now go," he laughed. "It's not everyday we can all get together like this!"

"Yeah," she nodded before returning to her spot on the couches.

They chatted and ate for hours, cherishing the time they had together. It was almost as if they were back at camp again.

When Robin explained the whole situation with Dream Co. and GGO, visible displeasure was present among those who listened.

"Damn bastards," Sully muttered, the alcohol she consumed causing her foul language to seep out even more than usual. "Just who do they think they are?"

"If worse comes to worst and you're put on trial, we'll all give our accounts," Cordelia said. "If those executives think they can get away with this, then they don't know who they're messing with."

"Indeed. I've been told I'm quite frightening when angered," Cherche added with a smile. "Although I cannot testify to such claims."

"Don't worry, Robin," Olivia assured her determinedly. "We won't let them lay a finger on you!"

"GGO, huh?" A new voice said from behind Robin.

Henry's smiling face looked down at her.

"Noire's pretty good at that game," he commented. "She's got the accuracy of a sniper! I guess all those years of using a bow really did pay off! Nya ha ha!"

"Really?" Robin asked. "Do you think...?"

"Of course we'll help you," Henry laughed. "I'm sure that's what Tharja wants."

"I'm sure Cynthia would love to," Sumia piped up.

Soon everyone was offering their child's help, overwhelming her.

"You guys..." She sniffled.

"Robin, dear! You musn't cry, remember?" Maribelle's eyes reddened. "You're going to s-set me off as well!"

"You are not alone," Miriel smiled.

"Because we're family! We all love you, Robin!" Lissa cried, embracing her.

They all cried tears of joy together, as a family.

"Hey, what's with all the crying, Mother?" Morgan asked curiously, the other children beside him.

Robin shook her head, attempting to her tears.

"It's just... I'm so happy..." She said.

"That's good to know!" Her son beamed.

Robin couldn't hold back her tears. They were flowing out, happiness she couldn't express any other way.

All her worries in the world seemed so small, because she knew they were nothing compared to the bonds she forged and shared with her family, the Shepherds.

* * *

Author's Note: I know this chapter was pretty short but I re-wrote it after deciding to change up the plot a bit. Also, I wanted to write a Shepherd reunion chapter, too, lol. Now that I've got a better grip on things, I'll try to make the chapters longer and more enjoyable for all of my lovely readers. Also, if you're a fan of RobinXInigo, I posted a new one-shot I decided to write, so if you're interested you can check that out. Anyways, thank you for reading, please leave feedback, and stay tuned for the next chapter!


	19. Part 2- Chapter 3 (2 of 2)

Review Replies:

NotSoGreatGamerGirl- Hehe, we all want a Chrom, don't we? And thank you as always!

MewFanGirl- Yeah, I really wanted to save this scene for later but decided I would put it here because I think it felt necessary for what Robin's going through atm. As for the whole food-pregnancy-thing, you'll have to see... :)

ilovefonandalaude- Thank you! I'll have to keep my lips sealed for now as for what Noire's gonna be doing in GGO and also the whole thing about Robin's "pregnancy", lol. Don't worry, I'll expound on it in the next few chapters!

GuestWithIdeas- Ooh I like your take on this! I was planning *spoiler* on bringing back Jin a bit, and you were right on target. However, I will say that I'm doing this quite differently than how it turned out in the original show. And yes, I can imagine Sully slugging the cop who tried arresting Robin, lol!

Sparro McGraw- I'm so sorry! *rolls down window* Hold on, sir, let me back up a little further... *crushes leg* Oops, too far! Maybe if I... *crushes arm and other leg* You know what screw it, I'm leaving! *drives away*

Anyways, good to know the Feels Truck has struck again successfully. :D

Ryalle- Aww thank you so much! It makes me grateful to know that my readers are enjoying my story! Thank you again for your review, and I'll definitely try to update when I can!

* * *

The children sat in the game room watching movies and eating, Cynthia predictably the most (although she majority of what she consumed were sweets) as she offered Owain some. Inigo and Lucina sat close together as they watched the movie in relaxation while Severa yelled at Gerome.

"What, is it you're embarrassed to sit with me?" She frowned.

"Of course not," Gerome replied. "It's just that I'm not used to such..."

"Such...?" Severa tapped her foot impatiently.

"... Intimacy."

"Intimacy," she repeated before grinning slyly and grabbing his arm. "Well, you're gonna have to get used to it soon!"

A faint blush spread across his nose, causing Severa to giggle.

"Hehe, no hiding behind that mask, now," she winked. Gerome had ditched the mask ever since they came to the real world, much to her relief.

"Got ya some more punch," Brady sat down by Noire, handing her another cup of red punch.

"Oh, thank you, Brady," the archer smiled. "I was just about to get some myself."

"Heh, anything for you, Noire," he laughed.

"Nah!" Yarne whined. "You're hogging the blanket!"

"No I am not," she insisted patiently. "In fact, I'm way tinier than you, so if anything you should be taking up more of it."

"Just because you're smaller doesn't mean you can't hog," he said.

"Fine, then how about this?" She scooted closer to him, so her head was resting on his shoulder. "Better?"

"Y-Yeah," he stammered, fixing the blanket over them.

Meanwhile, Morgan and Kjelle sat together on the floor by the small round table, drinking and eating while watching the movie as well.

Morgan took a sip from his can of soda before Kjelle spoke awkwardly.

"Um, Morgan..." She said.

"Yeah?" He asked, placing the can down.

"I'm pretty sure that soda's mine," she gestured to the can of soda he just drank from.

A blush spread across his face when he realized that is was indeed hers, his own right next to it.

"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry!" He stuttered, his cheeks flushing. "Um... I'll go get you a new one..."

"No need," she took his former soda and took a sip before smiling. "We'll just have to trade."

They both laughed over it while Yui sat on the floor, leaning against the couch wrapped in blankets so fluffy, she was barely visible. She couldn't help but feel a bit out of place romance-wise. Sure, all of them were her friends after all the time they spent together in Yume Online, but it was weird being in a room with a bunch of couples.

"Yui, are you alright?" Lucina asked, looking down at the pile of blankets on the floor that were her sister. "You've been awfully quiet."

"Hm? Oh, it's nothing," she replied, pulling down the blanket so she could talk. "I'm just focused on the movie, is all."

"Really? This is a pretty old movie," Inigo laughed. "It came out when our parents were around your age!"

"My age?" She asked. "Wow, that was a while ago."

Suddenly Owain gasped, knocking his bowl of popcorn over onto Cynthia's lap.

"The deception! The treachery!" He yelled.

"Umm, I prefer to eat my food in a bowl than from my lap..." The pegasus knight said.

"My apologies, dear Cynthia! But how could he do that? Abandoning the love of his life and leaving her to freeze to death!"

"I'm pretty sure she's not the 'love of his life' if he did that," Severa grumbled. "It was pretty obvious Kristoff's the one who loves her!"

Before they knew it the movie was over and they all wandered to the spacious living room, where their mothers were.

"Hey, what's with all the crying?" Morgan approached his mother, whose eyes and nose were red.

"It's just... I'm so happy..." She replied, trying to wipe away her tears.

Morgan smiled, happy that his mother wasn't suffering any longer from everything that happened to her. She was finally with her family and friends, who would support her and be there for her forever.

"That's good to know!" He beamed. "You deserve it, after all that's happened."

"Thank you..." She looked around, her eyes searching for one person. "Where's Yui? I haven't seen her yet."

"Huh? I could have sworn she was-" he spun around, but she was nowhere to be seen. "Um, I think we might have accidentally left her in the game room... Do you want me to go get her?"

"No, it's alright. Just take care of her," Robin responded. "I know you will."

"Of course!"

After grabbing more food and drinks, they hurried to the game room, but didn't see her.

"This is all my fault," Lucina said nervously, checking under the tables. "What if she ran away to be a juvenile delinquent because I wasn't paying enough attention to her?"

"Lucina, I don't think she would do that..." Inigo reassured her. "She's far too sweet and innocent for that."

"But still! She possesses the battle skill and mindset of a warrior, when needed! Perhaps rivaling me! I must not take any chances!"

"Found her!" Morgan exclaimed from the other side of the room.

"... Or not," his older sister sighed.

She was asleep in her pajamas on top of the heat vent, the blankets forming a fluffy pile over her small body. One might have even mistaken her for just that.

"She must have gotten cold," Morgan inferred. "Should I bring her to her room?"

"She looks comfy," Lucina commented. "We can bring her up after everyone leaves."

The young woman brushed her sister's blue hair away from her pale face, noting how similar they looked. She'd always wanted a little sister, and Yui was everything she wished she had been growing up. Happy, carefree, always smiling.

Morgan agreed and the other children chatted about GGO and how they would enter the BoB tournament.

"This time they're letting us do team battles," Noire explained. "We're allowed to have up to five members per team and one reserve member."

"So only six of us?" Kjelle asked.

"Not exactly... You see, in the elimination round, it's possible to enter with several groups to increase your chance of winning."

"I see," Lucina said. "So you're saying we should split into two groups?"

"Yes," the archer nodded.

"And if both of our teams do make it, we can take out GRIMA's pawns easier. The only uncertainty is the fact that GRIMA will be there. Whoever has to fight him will have to be prepared," Morgan added. He hoped now was an appropriate time to put his tactics to good use.

"That's right," Inigo pondered. "And there's no guarantee he won't try to take us out from the start."

"So who's on what team?" Severa yawned impatiently. "Obviously their skills have to be equal, so we can't just dump all the bruisers in one group."

"Yeah!" Cynthia agreed, wiping chocolate frosting off the corner of her mouth. "But I guess we can't really know until after we transfer."

"Indeed," Owain said, sipping his Mountain Dew like it was fine tea from Ylisse.

"Hold on a moment," Laurent suddenly said, adjusting his glasses. "Noire, you said we're to have up to six people per team, correct?"

"Yes," the pale-haired girl replied.

"If that's the case, then one of us cannot participate, seeing as there are thirteen of us," he expressed.

"... Oh," Noire said quietly.

It was silent at first before Laurent spoke again.

"I believe I should be the one to sit this one out," he told them. "I am not suited to fighting these kinds of battles. I'm sure all of you will fare better than I."

"Are ya sure?" Brady asked. "It's not like ya to sit by and watch while ev'ryone else does all the fightin'..."

"It is not," the mage concurred. "However, given the circumstances, this is how it must be. I am certain of my decision."

Lucina nodded.

"I see your point. Thank you for your humbleness, Laurent."

"Of course, Lucina."

"Based off our stats in Yume Online, I think I have an idea of who should be on what team," Noire said. "I'm thinking Morgan, Kjelle, Yui, Severa, and me on a team with Owain as a reserve. For the other team, Nah, Brady, Cynthia, Gerome, and Lucina, with Yarne as a reserve."

"Interesting," Morgan tilted his head. "What's your reasoning?"

"Well, for the both teams, we have a mix of speed and skill with strength. Cynthia and Yui are the speediest, while Severa and Lucina have both speed and strength as well as skill. Gerome, Yui, Yarne, and Owain also provide good strength. Kjelle can be a good tank for our team's more offensive-based players. Morgan and Nah can possibly be good mid-range shooters, while Brady provides utility to his team."

"What? Me, a reserve member?!" Owain gasped.

"It's not like that," Noire sighed. "It just means you won't be participating in all three matches. First is preliminary, then elimination, then the main event. You'll have to switch out with someone depending on what the other teams are like. I figured you and Yarne would be pretty versatile when it comes to these battles."

"Oh," Yarne said. "So I don't suck?"

"No! Of course not!"

"Good," Owain said in relief.

They decided to take a break from the discussion and watch another movie, and they soon realized it was nearly four in the morning. Their parents were tired, some already sleeping on the furniture. Whoever wasn't asleep already was invited to their own guest room in the huge mansion with their family.

Meanwhile, Lucina scooped Yui up in her arms easily and carried her to her room, tucking her under the covers.

"Good night," she kissed her smooth cheek, pulling the warm blanket over her.

Morgan then walked in the room and did the same, bidding their little sister goodnight.

The tactician boy yawned, stretching his arms out before telling his older sister goodnight as well and turning in for the night.

Lucina walked out into the hallway, about to turn off the lights before Robin approached her.

"Mother," the princess smiled. "Did you have a good time?"

"Yes, of course," Robin returned the smile tiredly. "I just wanted to say goodnight to my children."

Robin embraced Lucina lovingly, the pleasant, fresh scent of her hair filling her nose.

"Good night, Lucina," she told her, kissing her cheek. "Never forget that I love you."

"Thank you, Mother," Lucina said, reluctantly pulling away from the hug. "I love you as well. I'm going to make sure you stay right here with us, where you belong."

"Lucina... You are the most considerate and kind daughter I could ever want," Robin told her. "Thank you."

"Mother..."

Soon Lucina was sent to bed and fast asleep, her tiredness getting the better of her. In the meantime, Robin gave Morgan a goodnight kiss and proceeded to do the same to Yui. The little hero girl smiled as soon as Robin kissed her cheek, causing her mother to do so as well. Her smile looked so much like Chrom's, bright and childish yet comforting and warm.

But little did Robin know, that smile she loved seeing would vanish.

* * *

Author's Note: Yay! Thank you for a whopping fifty reviews! Especially since I published this quite recently and there are already half of how many I have in my current most popular story, so I'm thinking this story might surpass that in a few months! Anyways, another short chapter, I know, but that's because it's technically the second part of the previous chapter. I'll try my best to make the upcoming chapters longer, and hopefully I can still find time to write on a weekly basis since I uploaded a few days late this week, so I'm sorry for that! I'm having a lot of fun with this story so far, and I hope you all enjoy reading it as much I do writing it. As always, thank you for reading and stay tuned for the next chapter!


	20. Part 2- Chapter 4

Review Responses

SakuraDreamerz: Haha yep! And the children ships are really adorable, so I had to put that in. xD

ilovefonandalaude: I'm so glad you enjoyed it! And you'll have to see...!

Tana Satou: Yes, I'm basically the queen of cliffies (cliffys?), hehe, they're so fun to write... And yes, that was Frozen, lol. I saw the trailer for Frozen Fever and thought, "Why not?"

NotSoGreatGamerGirl: Hehehe, like I said, cliffhangers are my thing. And yes, General Noire will be taking over this operation from here on out (kind of).

reversaloftheheart: I'm glad you're liking my story! Don't worry, there's plenty more coming!

GuestWithIdeas: Yes they are! I wanted to shift the focus onto the kids for a while in this arc of the story. Also, Sully's gonna need to buy a new pair of boxing gloves soon *spoiler* ... Anyways, I wanted Noire to take charge because of *cough*reasons*cough*spoilers*, but Morgan's definitely going to do some strategizing as well!

* * *

Chrom and Lucina were eating lunch quietly before Lucina spoke.

"Father? Do you mind if I ask something?"

"No, of course not. What is it?" He responded.

"Well... Mother told me a story a while back. But she told me to ask you how it ended."

"Which story is this, exactly?" He asked, hoping it wasn't the bathing tent incident or the waterfall incident.

"You were near a waterfall, if I recall correctly."

Damn it.

"Oh... Well," he started, his cheeks reddening. "Where did she leave off?"

"She blacked out from exhaustion," Lucina told him eagerly.

Why did Robin have to make him tell this part?

"Right. Next, I carried her back to camp... She looked like she was about to die. I was mortified. I knew it was my fault because I was purposefully avoiding her for a few days," he started to say. "But when we got back to camp, it wasn't exactly taken the right way."

Chrom had Robin in his arms, running towards camp as fast as he could.

"Stahl! Sully!" He called out to the two, who were sparring.

"... Chrom?" Sully asked in confusion.

"Where's Lissa? Robin's in bad shape!"

"What exactly happened?" Stahl asked in concern. "... And why is Robin only wearing a towel? What were you doing?"

"C'mon, Chrom, the whole damn camp knows about you two," Sully sighed. "Besides, a forest isn't exactly the best place to-"

"No! That's not what happened!" Chrom's face flushed. "She left the camp, so I went looking for her, and she got attacked by Risen, and- Ugh, never mind! Just tell me where Lissa is so Robin stays alive! Please!"

"She's in the healers' tent," Stahl informed him.

"Thank you," he quickly said before rushing there.

It was rather embarrassing, seeing the shocked stares everyone gave him as he carried the tactician to the the healers' tent. As soon as he came inside, Lissa looked up from a book on efficient stave use.

"Uh, Chrom...?" She asked, bewildered.

"I'll explain later, just heal her, please!" He begged her.

His younger sister did just that, and soon Robin was back to near normal health.

"What happened after that?" Lucina asked with excitement.

"Well... People wouldn't stop teasing us about the whole incident."

"Heh, I can imagine!" The princess laughed, something that Chrom was glad to see.

"Yeah..." His voice trailed off. "Anyways, you should start now. Every minute counts."

Lucina nodded.

"Yes."

* * *

The children spent the next few days training as the Shepherds would, Noire allowing them to borrow some of her guns and cash. They did at least four PvP's a day, gaining exp. and gold to buy their own gear. Chrom revoked his entry into BoB, deciding it would be best to leave it to the kids.

Team A of the Shepherds were in one match with another team, with Team B in another.

Noire was hidden in one of the buildings, while Morgan, Kjelle, and Owain were stationed to the north with Yui and Severa stationed to the east. The latter two specialized more in close-combat, while the former three were mid-range fighters.

"Alright, Morgan, I think they might be heading towards your location," Noire said.

"Roger that," the tactician boy replied.

"Yui, Severa, wait where you are for now, and if they need help, they can call for it."

"Roger," Yui said.

"They're here!" Morgan's voice boomed in their ears, and they could hear the gunshots from afar. "Three of them!"

"Got it," Noire looked through her scope, gauging who she could shoot. "Alright, I've got two targets on lock. You take care of the rest. But be careful, two of them are missing. They're probably searching for Yui and Severa."

"Roger!" Kjelle said.

"Shooting... Now!" Noire signaled; and the deed was done, her target defeated. His friend grunted as Morgan, Owain, and Kjelle went on the offensive and shot at him fiercely. He was overwhelmed and taken down as well. The third, however, managed to shoot Kjelle in the shoulder, but was swiftly eliminated by Owain and Morgan.

"You okay?" Morgan asked.

"I'm fine," she grunted. "Hopefully Yui and Severa can handle those guys."

She turned her mic on.

"Alright, Noire, we're clear here. Should we stay in our current position?"

"Yeah, just in case they come back. If they do show up by Yui and Severa, I'm sure they can-"

"Target engaging!" Yui shouted, the gunfire audible.

"Both of them?" Noire asked.

"Yes!" Severa replied, steadying her gun.

"Hey, would you mind covering me?" Yui asked, reaching into her vest.

"Not at all," the black-haired girl replied. She had a soft spot for Yui, who was like the younger sister she never had.

"Alright, going in 3... 2...1!"

Severa opened fire on the two, who tried dodging the shots and put up their shields briefly before Yui threw a grenade up in the air just before opening her sword.

"5..."

She sliced through a bullet coming straight at her as she tumbled up through the air.

"4..."

Landing on her feet, she shot one of them in the back before stabbing him for good measure.

"3..."

"Severa, get back!" Yui yelled as she did several backflips to gain some distance, Severa heeding the young girl's advice before the mercenary was nearly shot, the bullet narrowly missing her.

"2..."

"I can do this," the girl thought determinedly, lining up her sword.

"1..."

The sword sailed towards her opponent like a javelin, impaling him and finishing the job as the fake grenade fell to the ground harmlessly. They soon were sent back to the lobby and congratulated each other on their victory excitedly.

"That was amazing!" Morgan said to his younger sister.

"I'd expect no less from my favorite youngest cousin," Owain patted her head.

"Thanks!" Yui beamed, her cheery disposition returned.

"At this rate, I bet Yui could beat all the teams on her own," Nah laughed.

"Probably not," the young girl replied modestly.

Lucina smiled. If only Inigo was here, she thought. But his mother's old NerveGear had suddenly busted up and was now unusable. Even if he did get a new AmuSphere, the teams were already set.

But she realized that this wasn't the time to be thinking such things. They had work to do.

* * *

Her dark eyes bored into him like a predator ready to devour its prey.

"I'm here only to collect information," she informed the man firmly. "Now, tell me what you know about GRIMA."

Jin's sunken eyes looked up at her like a mysterious cat's, nerving and unsettling, but the woman did not flinch.

"... GRIMA," he began to say, his voice hollow. "... He was the guy I was working for. You probably already know that."

Jay was admittedly surprised he began to fork over information so easily. She remained silent.

"He told me I could do whatever I wanted with Robin as long as I followed his directions," he continued, a smile creeping onto his face.

"Whatever you wanted?" Anger boiled up from within her.

"Mhm," Jin said slowly. "It was a lot of fun."

The mere thought of it made her furious. It made her regret not saving Robin faster.

"But it wasn't fun being betrayed, you know," he added amusedly. "Heh... I suppose I always did secretly doubt you, even if we did work together for a while."

"That's in the past," she told him. "Now stop evading my question and answer all that you know about him."

"That's all I know," he replied. "He never even actually talked to me more than five or six times."

He adjusted himself in his chair with a strange expression.

"You were there, too, so why are you asking me?"

"I'm the one asking the questions here," she shot back. "If there's anything else you knokw, say it now."

He shook his head.

"Nope. Nothing else."

She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Fine. I'll be going then."

She opened up her menu and took one last glance at him before logging out, waking up in her room.

* * *

"Well done, child," the snake-like voice whispered in his mind, sending chills up Jin's back. "Keep this up and I just might spare them."

* * *

Jay headed down to the living room, where Chrom was.

"What did he say?" He asked.

"Nothing particularly helpful," she replied with a sigh, crossing her arms.

Asuka listened from the kitchen nearby while washing the dishes, worry plain on her features.

"Hey, why didn't you have Robin come with you?" Jay asked him. "Was she taking care of the kids? You know my mom loves seeing them."

He shook his head.

"I know. But I don't want her to have anything to do with Jin ever again," the blue-haired man replied.

"I know where you're coming from," her expression became tense. "But GRIMA's no slouch. He's good at manipulating people for his own benefit. It just so happens he managed to do that with Jin."

"I'll never forgive that bastard, Jin," Chrom's fists tightened.

"I understand your anger, but the real one at fault here is GRIMA," Jay pointed out. "He's the one who captured her in the first place. True, Jin terrible things to her, but that never would have happened without GRIMA's intervention."

"I know," he replied. "That's why I have to put my faith in the children... They have to succeed. I know they will."

"Yeah," the dark-haired woman nodded in agreement. "I hear your youngest daughter's quite the skilled player."

"That she is," he agreed.

* * *

Yui leveled her gun at the target, absentmindedly shooting a perfect shot at the target dead-center. Suddenly someone placed a hand on her shoulder, and she nearly shot him out of reflexivity. It was the same man she had seen when she first joined the game with her father, wearing his mask and gray cloak and dark goggles over his eyes. He pressed a napkin from a bar into her palm silently. The girl hesitantly opened it up and read it before looking up.

"Um, sir, I-" she began to say before realizing he was gone.

"Yui!" Lucina called out, running to her. "We're all ready for one last match. Are you okay?"

Her eyes darted to the bunched up napkin in her hand.

"... What's that?"

Yui didn't bother hiding it from her and handed it over as Lucina unfolded it and read it.

"What?" She read it out loud.

" 'Yui,  
don't enter BoB.

Stay home and make sure no one leaves the house.

Trust me.'

... What's that supposed to mean?" Lucina narrowed her eyes at the napkin.

"I don't know," Yui shook her head.

"He might just be tricking us into quitting the competition. All things considered, he could one of GRIMA's pawns," her sister replied.

"Yeah, but how does he know my name?" The younger girl asked. "He's obviously not on my friend list, so there's no way..."

"Who knows?" Lucina shook her head. "Maybe he's been secretly stalking us and overheard some of our conversations."

"But he said to make sure none of us leaves the house," Yui pondered. "Why would we do that?"

"Now that I think about it, we're only allowed to dive at hospitals for this project so they can monitor our blood pressure and breath rate and what not so they'll know if anything's happening in case they try to take our accounts. He knows we can't participate in BoB if we stay home... But how?"

Yui closed her eyes for a few seconds before opening them.

"His name is Komadori. He's been playing this game for about a week, so he's pretty new... Wait, he started on the same day I did? Unless he's on a smurf account, I don't know how he could be that good... Other than that, though, there's nothing else mysterious about him besides the note."

"I see," Lucina said, before jumping somewhat at Yui's sharp gasp.

"Wait..." the hero girl began to say.

"What is it, Yui?"

"He's..."

* * *

Author's Note: Thank you all so much for your support and reviews, they really mean a lot to me as a writer. Sorry I've been updating pretty slow, the truth is I'm kind of losing inspiration for this arc because I'm really excited to write the next one, but I'll do my best to make it the best I can do, lol. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed, and if you did, please do leave a review because they're like Christmas presents, hehe. Stay tuned for the next chapter!


	21. Part 2- Chapter 5

Review Responses:

SakuraDreamerz: I'd love to say, but spoilers, spoilers... And writing embarrassed Chrom is hilarious, lol. Thank you for your review!xD

CommanderFirez: I'm not sure if you've gotten this far yet, but if you have, thank you! I wanted to do something different, and this is what I came up with. Anyways, I'm glad to hear you're enjoying the story, and I hope you stay updated!

GuestWithIdeas: Again, spoilers, spoilers, hehe... But that aside, I like writing flashbacks, as you can probably tell and will see in this story, for a certain reason that involves*cough*spoilers*cough*. Especially Chrobin ones, lol. Thanks again for reviewing!

* * *

It was the final battle of the preliminary match. Thankfully, the A team and B team were in different brackets, so if they won in their own, they would both make it to the elimination round. Lucina, Nah, Brady, Cynthia, and Gerome with Yarne sitting out.

Lucina was the appointed leader of the team, and was stationed with Cynthia and Nah while Brady stayed with Gerome. Gerome was one of the main powerhouses of the team, since he had enough strength points to use a minigun. However, its weight made jumping and moving around difficult, so Brady was there to give him some utility and backup. Lucina and her team were the bait to lure their team out so that Gerome could open fire. Nah and Cynthia offered to be the primary bait while Lucina patrolled the area around them so that they could possibly change their strategy and set up an ambush if needed.

"Target located," Lucina said quietly. The in-game mics worked so that no matter how loud or quiet you said something, everyone could hear it at the perfect volume. "All five of them. To the east of the clock tower."

The clock tower was where Gerome and Brady were, the perfect shooting spot.

"All five?" The wyvern rider snorted. "What a bunch of noobs."

Lucina stifled a laugh before she spoke. "Alright, Cynthia, Nah, now's the time."

"Roger!" They both said, and headed to that location. They managed to catch the attention of one of their members, and fire was opened on them as they ran away to the square surrounding the tower.

As soon as they reached the square, Nah rolled on the ground, pretending she had been shot, just as she practiced. She pulled out her shotgun and managed to hit one of them in the leg as Lucina jumped from behind the pillar where she was hiding, shooting one of them down with her machine gun.

"Now, Gerome!" Cynthia said as she drew her twin revolvers, preparing to fight.

"On it! C'mon, Brady!" They jumped down from the tower, Brady using his shield on Gerome as the latter brutally took down the other two while Cynthia did the same to the guy whose leg Nah had injured. Now there was one left, and he was the tankiest. Bur he was up against five skilled warriors, and could barely put up a fight before being shut down mercilessly.

They respawned, cheering in victory before Yarne ran over.

"That was great, guys!" He said. "So, do you think those were GRIMA's accounts?"

Lucina shook her head.

"Probably not. GRIMA's not so stupid as to just let us win, after all. And he would've done whatever he could to kill us and take our accounts."

Suddenly the A team spawned in the spawn pool next to them, panting, with the "Winner" sign over their heads.

"That was awful," Morgan panted. "We barely won."

"Sorry," Yui said guiltily. "It's my fault we almost lost."

"No, Yui, it's no one's fault," Noire told her gently.

All of a sudden, five players came marching up to the A team abruptly, with angered expressions on their faces.

"You cheaters!" One of them yelled. "What kind of cheat codes were you using?"

"Cheat codes?" Kjelle narrowed her eyes at them. "What are you talking about?"

"Her!" Another pointed his finger at Yui. "Her reaction speed is off the charts! There's no way anyone's that skilled!"

"I didn't use any cheat codes," Yui insisted.

"Liar," he snarled, walking towards her.

Suddenly he was lifted off the ground by the shirt by Lucina, her face murderous.

"Don't lay a single finger on my sister, or you'll be the sorriest man alive."

"We're not scared of you," another member of their team scoffed.

"Well, ya should be!" Brady approached him menacingly. The scar on his face only made his look even scarier.

He was punched in the face harshly by the person he was talking to, the worst mistake of that person's life.

"B-B..." Noire mumbled.

"Noire?" Nah asked, backing away in fear.

"BLOOD AND THUNDER!" She screamed, knocking the unlucky man to the ground with a kick and punching another in the gut. Soon, an all-out fist fight broke out and the other team realized that they were severely outmatched.

Two of them backed Morgan and Yui into a corner, Morgan standing in front of her defensively.

"So you two are that tough girl's siblings, huh?" One of them smirked.

"I won't let you hurt Yui," Morgan told them fiercely.

"You think you can stop us, scrawny?"

They began violently kicking, punching, and throwing the aspiring tactician around on the floor harshly, the boy defenseless to do anything.

"No!" Yui screamed as loud as she ever had, before something snapped in her.

She lunged towards one of them and elbowed his face before the other threw a punch straight at her. She caught it and twisted his arm painfully, the man begging for her to stop. Yui was contemplating breaking his other arm before Morgan began stirring on the ground.

"Yui..." He murmured.

Yui dropped the man on the ground carelessly before rushing to Morgan.

"Morgan!" She said, hugging him. "I'm so sorry! You got hurt 'cause of me!"

"Heh," he replied nonchalantly. "I'm willing to take a few punches for my favorite little sister."

"B-But-" she choked through her sobs as she began to cry.

"Hey, don't cry," Morgan pushed himself up and rested his back against the wall, smiling. "I'm fine."

"Morgan! I'm sorry!" She said again, burying her face in his jacket. She couldn't bring herself to accept the fact that she had to be protected all the time, and that her brother had been beaten up because of it.

"Shh," he soothed his sister, hugging her close. "Everything's gonna be alright, Yui."

"Hey!" Severa called out, Kjelle behind her. "Are you two okay?"

"We're fine," Morgan replied. "Yui took care of them."

"Seriously," Kjelle sighed. "What are you, their punching bag, Morgan?"

"In hindsight, yes," he laughed, but he was the only one who found it funny.

"C'mon, everyone's logging out for today. Our time's almost up," Severa told them.

They all said their goodbyes and logged out as Lucina barged into Morgan's room, looming over him as he woke up.

* * *

"Morgan! What was that?!" She exclaimed. "Why did you have to...?"

"I wanted to protect Yui," he said.

"I understand," she told him. "But you just flung yourself at them and let them beat you up!"

"I'd rather be the one getting hurt than her..."

Out of the corner of her eye Lucina saw strands of long blue hair and Yui's brown eyes staring back at her.

"Come here, Yui," she instructed. The young girl did so and looked at them guiltily.

"Am I in trouble?" Yui asked.

"No," Lucina responded before waiting a few seconds to speak again.

"I'm sorry, you two. I should have known better than to start a fight with them."

After a pause, Morgan spoke.

"It's not your fault. It was them. They were just jealous of Yui because she beat them."

"... But what if they were right?" Yui asked. "What if I am cheating, because I'm not even a real person?"

The young girl looked down guiltily, before being pulled into a hug, much to her surprise. Morgan was also pulled in, and Lucina embraced them both lovingly.

"Don't say that," she told her sternly. "Just because you have NAGA's powers ingrained into you doesn't mean you're not any less human than we are. You're our sister, right? That's more than enough."

"Yeah!" Morgan agreed. "And we're doing this all for Mother. We can't let Hiro's sacrifice be for nothing... So don't believe what they say for a second, okay?"

"O-Okay!" She cried, hugging them tighter.

* * *

She was burning up, her forehead so hot Robin was worried out of her mind.

"It's just a little fever," Yui assured her. "Please don't worry, Mommy..."

Robin had awoken hearing her daughter throwing up in the toilet, and had immediately gone to treat her. It turns out, she had a severe fever and her body was fighting some sort of infection.

Lucina brought her some medicine while Morgan made some breakfast to fill her stomach.

"You don't have to baby me," she requested quietly. "I don't want to be a bother."

"Well, you technically are the baby of the family," Lucina smiled, pouring out the appropriate amount of medicine. "And you're not a bother. You're just sick, that's all."

"I don't like being sick," Yui frowned. "It's no fun at all."

Chrom brought a glass of water for her to drink, and she chugged the whole cup down in seconds.

"Look, Yui!" Morgan held out a tray of fresh food in front of her. "I made you you your favorite bacon pancakes!"

"Ooh!" Her eyes lit up, before she looked down hesitantly. "But I can't help but feel like you're spoiling me..."

"Well, anything for my little sister!" Morgan laughed. "Besides, who besides maybe Cynthia could eat this whole stack of pancakes on their own?"

"Me!" Yui replied, grinning. "Thank you, Morgan! And thank you, Lucina, and Mommy, and Daddy! Maybe being sick isn't so bad if I get to spend quality time with my family!"

"We can spend quality family time anytime," Chrom told her, brushing her long bangs away from her forehead.

"That's good to know," she said in relief. "But I can't dive like this..."

"We don't have to dive again until Monday," Morgan replied. "Elimination rounds don't start until then."

"Oh, alright then..." Her eyelids began to twitch lightly. "I'm getting kind of tired..."

"Get some rest," Robin told her with a soft smile. "You need it."

After her parents went out to run some errands, Morgan stayed in Yui's room, doing some studying on her desk.

"Hey, Morgan?" Yui called out.

"Yes? Is there anything you need?"

"Do you think I'm annoying?"

That question took him aback.

"Annoying? Of course not," he replied honestly. Sure, she could be silly at times, but never annoying. Nowhere near it. "Why do you ask?"

"... I feel like a little helpless baby," she admitted. "Compared to Hiro, I'm like a whiny toddler, aren't I?"

Morgan thought about how she had approached them so seriously the first time she had met them, how mature and strong she looked. Then there was the time she had sparred with him; her strength reminded him of Lucina.

"I think I know where you're coming from," he began to say. "I used to feel like that around Lucina."

"You did?"

He nodded.

"She was so strong, and noble, and had so much purpose... Everyone looked up to her. And then there was me, her amnesiac little brother. It seemed like I would never compare."

He paused.

"Lucina saw I was acting that way, and she talked to me about it."

"If I train hard enough..." The aspiring tactician thought. "Maybe... Maybe one day I'll catch up to them!"

"Morgan," Lucina walked towards him as he stabbed a training dummy absentmindedly.

"Yes?" He replied. "What is it, Sis?"

"Spar with me," she said bluntly, handing him a training sword.

"What?! But I-" he sputtered, catching the wooden weapon.

"But nothing," the princess interjected. "Come, Morgan. Fight me with everything you've got. No holding back."

"Lucina, I'm not strong enough to fight you!" Morgan insisted.

"Don't give up so easily." She took her battle stance, leveling her sword at him. "How are you to become a brilliant tactician like Mother if you can't overcome your fears?"

Her brother reluctantly took up his stance in front of her. Lucina was trained fully in the style of House Ylisse, while Morgan had crafted his own style with his mother as well as his father. The result was a fighting technique completely of his own.

"Hya!" Lucina charged forward, her sword knocking Morgan's back. The younger sibling barely dodged her strikes as he attempted to steady himself.

"You can do better than that," the blue-haired girl grunted.

"No, I can't," he thought hopelessly. "Lucina's just too strong... I'll never-"

"Focus!" She snapped him back to reality. "Stop doubting yourself!"

"Doubting myself?" He wondered, reflecting her attacks.

"You will never win if you doubt yourself," Lucina said, continuing her rapid stabs towards him. "Believe in yourself! Is all that training and hard work going to be for nothing, Morgan?"

Her words struck a chord in him, ringing throughout his mind.

"No!" He shouted, the loudest Lucina had ever heard his voice. He turned the fight around, slashing and stabbing at his sister.

"Nice," Lucina thought. His technique was a blend of their mother's, the way she held her sword and her strategic strikes and footwork, and their father's powerful attacks and defense. It was all tied together by Morgan's own judgement and strength.

He kept her on her toes, their swords clashing. Lucina's stronger arms pushed him back, however, and they kept going for at least five more minutes until Morgan finally found an opening to strike her.

"Now!" He thought, however Lucina reacted much quicker and dealt a piercing blow to the middle of his sword, breaking it in half and forcing him to yield.

"Well, that wasn't very fair," she panted before Morgan fell on his knees, his face to the ground.

"Morgan...?" Lucina knelt down in front of him.

"It's no good..." He sobbed without tears. "I'll never measure up to you, Sis..."

"What makes you say that?" A voice said from the edge of the training ground. They both immediately reacted to that voice, their heads turning that direction. Their parents approached them, their boots making crunching noises atop the gravelly ground.

"Father..." Morgan's voice trailed off.

"You both fought wonderfully," Robin told them. "I couldn't be more proud. Besides, what happened to my cheerful little boy? The one who tried chopping up apples with a blade of legend?"

The boy's face flushed red at his mother's question, stuttering random syllables. His mood changed and he looked down, his fingers digging into the ground.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly as his parents looked on in concern. "I just... I just want to become strong, like the rest of the family. That's all..."

"You are strong," Chrom dropped to his knees, holding his shoulders so their eyes met. "Ever since the moment we found you, you always put on that brave face and fought with your whole heart. Being strong doesn't necessarily mean being a good fighter."

His eyes were full of courage and burning passion.

"It means using the strength you have to protect the ones you love," he explained, ruffling Morgan's hair. "And I see you do that day after day, out there on the battlefield. That's what it means to be a Shepherd."

Robin walked closer to them, placing a hand on her son's shoulder.

"I think that's what Lucina was trying to teach you, don't you?" She gave a kind smile.

"She was?" The boy turned to Lucina, who stood beside her mother.

"I noticed it was troubling you as of late,"she began to say. "That expression you always wore, one of worry and fear, told me something was wrong. And then, seeing how much effort you began to put into your training, it all made sense... But I'm sorry if my methods were a bit harsh."

Morgan shook his head.

"No, they weren't... Thank you," he beamed. "I needed that.. You're the best family I could possibly hope for."

"Don't you think so?" Morgan asked Yui, finishing his short story.

"Yeah," his younger sister agreed. "So you're saying... I'm not annoying?"

"Like I said, of course not," he reassured her. "You're my favorite little sister!"

"Really? That's-" she paused. "Wait, I'm your ONLY little sister!"

"Exactly," Morgan teased.

Yui simply laughed and laid her head back down on her fluffy pillow, her long blue hair fanning out around her.

"I really do have the best family..."

She closed her eyes peacefully, unaware of the painfully inexorable future that awaited them.

* * *

Author's Note: I know, I know, another Yui-centric chapter (with Morgan), but I plan on making it one of the last if not the last. This fic is gonna start moving faster, and I just wanted to take the chance to write this. I've already got Part 3 and a side story mapped out, the latter of which is probably gonna come first unless I change my mind. Anyways, thank you all for reading and please do leave feedback if you enjoyed. Stay tuned!


	22. Part 2- Chapter 6

Review Responses:

NotSoGreatGamerGirl: *Puts paper in box* Thank you for voting! Well, you already know, but I've got some more things in store... *evil laughs*

SakuraDreamerz: Omg that would be amazing! You're sure you wouldn't mind? Also, which con are you going to? Ahhh that's so cool since he also voices Eren from Attack on Titan too!

GuestWithIdeas: It's totally fine, don't worry about it. But *cough*spoiler*something*cough*happens*cough*in*the*next*two*chapters*cough*...

* * *

Lucina and Yui sat by the virtual bar, watching the previous BoB matches on their player video screen.

"Hmm," Lucina said, placing a hand under her chin, puzzled. "It doesn't seem like any of the teams are GRIMA's."

Yui remained silent for a moment before gasping and pointing to the screen, pausing the video.

"Lucy! Look! It's her!" She said urgently.

Her sister peered over.

"It is," she agreed. "The one who gave you that note."

Thinking back, she remembered when they first found out that person was a girl.

"He's..." Yui began to say. "...A she!"

"A she?" Lucina asked. "As in female?"

The young girl nodded.

"I don't know what made me think she was a guy, but..." She paused. "Come to think of it, I saw her on the first day I was here, at the shooting range."

"Really? Was she good?"

"Yeah. Really good."

"I see," the princess pondered. "She might be participating in BoB."

"I think so, too."

"We'll just have to wait and see."

It turns out, Lucina's hunch was correct.

"Let me check her stats," Yui said.

"Alright."

She waited for a moment as Yui closed her eyes before she opened them widely.

"What? No, that can't be right..." She began to say.

"What is it?"

"The person in the video... Isn't the same person as Komadori!" She told her sister urgently. "The avatar and name are different!"

"How so?" Lucina inquired.

"The person in the video's avatar is smaller in build and is a dexterity/agility type, while Komadori's is a vitality/luck type. It's a male this time, and his name is... Eiyuu? I think it's pronounced like 'Ay-yew'."

"So they're two different people, but they wear the same clothing?"

"I.. Don't know. They're not in the same party, and I don't see any relation to them."

"Hmm... Maybe she's the sub of their group?"

"No," Yui shook her head. "I checked, and she's not in any of the BoB listings at all."

"... To clarify, the person you saw at the shooting range was Eiyuu, and the person who gave you the note was Komadori?"

"I think so."

"That doesn't explain how Komadori would know your name," Lucina said. "Or why they wear the exact same cloak and gear."

"Maybe... Komadori is Eiyuu's smurf account?" Yui suggested. "But I don't know why he would want a girl avatar when he's just gonna cover himself with a cloak anyways..."

"Maybe he wanted an extra account to enter into BoB?" Lucina asked. "Wait, never mind, you said Komadori wasn't in the tournament."

"Yeah," Yui told her. "I can't find any connections between them... What do you think, Lucy?"

"I think for now we shouldn't make any assumptions. For all we know, we might run into one of them again."

"Okay, then."

Taking a sip from the cup of apple juice that Lucina bought her, she spit it out in distaste.

"Bleugh!" She swiped her tongue on her napkin, trying to rid her tongue of the taste. "That's not apple juice!"

"It's not?" Lucina asked, alarmed, as she took the cup and sniffed it.

"It's beer," she frowned.

"That's disgusting," Yui said. "But I'm sure I ordered apple juice!"

"I'll get one for you," Lucina told her as she took the glass and approached the bartender.

"Hello," the automated CPU said. "What would you like to drink?"

"There's been a mix-up," the blue-haired woman informed him. "My sister requested apple juice, and she was given beer. Do you suppose we could get our original order?"

"I'm sorry, we do not do refunds or exchan-"

Lucina gave him a deathly glare, one that could easily cut through steel.

"Well, you'll have to do them today," she informed him slowly.

"Right away," he replied before bringing the glass over.

"You're sure this is apple juice?" She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Positive, ma'am," the CPU assured her.

Taking a small sip, she soon discovered that it was, indeed, apple juice.

"Thank you, then," Lucina told him. "Have a nice day."

While Yui waited, she busily watched the video again, observing Eiyuu in particular. He was strong, and agile. Although he wasn't his team's main attacker, he was without a doubt in her mind the most skilled. What was his relation to Komadori? The two were definitely linked in some way, she just couldn't figure out how.

"Hey, cutie," a man said, walking up to her with a twisted grin. "This seat taken?"

"My sister's sitting there," she replied firmly.

"Aww, you look cute when you pout," another person said, sitting down next to her while his friend slid into Lucina's seat.

"Stay away from me," Yui hopped off her seat and walked away.

She felt a hand grab her wrist, and she immediately twisted his arm and kicked his gut, tossing him onto the floor afterwards.

"I told you to stay away from me!" She exclaimed.

"Wait a minute... You're that girl everyone's been talking about!" The other man said accusingly. "One of the highest reaction speeds ever seen in this game, and from a little girl? Assuming that avatar's legit, you've got some nerve tryna' cheat in this game, missy!"

"I never cheated," she told him. "My reaction speed's always been this way, no matter what game I'm in."

"Heh, no way! The only other person who has that kinda reaction speed is-!"

She could see his mouth moving, and could hear what he was saying, but she couldn't believe it.

Yui's heart nearly stopped at hearing that. There was no way.

"Hey!" Lucina came, and for a teenager holding a cup of apple juice she looked awfully scary. The poor guy scurried away as she approached Yui.

"What happened?" She asked, before noticing the other body on the ground. "Damn, I have got to take better care of you."

"No, I'm alright," Yui assured her.

"Well, at least I know you can protect yourself," Lucina smiled. "Now, here's your apple juice. And this time, I double checked."

Yui cautiously took a sip.

"Yup, that's definitely apple juice!" She beamed. "Thanks, Lucy!"

Lucina smiled as they headed back to the bar, only one name ringing throughout Yui's mind.

Eiyuu.

The elimination rounds went without problems, and both teams managed to win and make it to the finals. Rumor of Yui spread even more like a wildfire, to the point where when she entered a room it would get quiet and people would stare at her. She was the only twelve year old playing this game, that's for sure. When her parents were younger, they explained that in FPS shooters that weren't played in VR, there were trollers who camped and sniped you. However, in VR, they were at a big disadvantage, as it took more to be good at VR than knowing the best places to camp. There definitely still were campers, but they were easy to find and kill, making them effectively useless.

That aside, the Shepherds readied themselves for the final battle, the toughest one yet.

"There will be six teams competing," the announcer notified them. "They are... Metal Pistol, Team SA, Grim Reapers, Team SB, Shock Wave, and Atlas Skull!"

The audience cheered, before the announcer paused.

"What's this? It seems two of these teams are from the same party! And that one of their members is the mysterious young girl everyone's been talking about..."

"That's me," Yui thought grimly. "I should have known better than to attract attention..."

"Anyways, let me explain the rules!" He continued. "Each player will spawn separated from their teammates at a set interval throughout the map. You can still communicate, but there will be five others in your area from the other teams! Each sector covers about a mile length and width wise, and there are five in total."

He gestured to a screen that displayed a map of a circle, divided into six parts like a wheel. Five arrows pointed to each of the sectors.

"This is where you will spawn," he informed them. "The rules are the same as always. It's a battle royale, but with teams! Now, you don't have to stay in your sector if you don't want to, and you're free to go wherever you want. Every thirty minutes, your avatar will emit a signal to the in-game satellite which will be shown on your wristband display, informing you of everyone's location at that time. This will continue until one team is remaining; that team will be crowned victors of the BoB Team Tournament!"

"So it's a strategy game," Morgan deduced. "You can choose to fight alone in your sector or group up with the rest of your team. Although the latter's a smarter option, if you travel to another sector there might be an ambush waiting for you, not to mention snipers. On the other hand, if you choose to fight alone, you might be done for if another team manages to group up in one area and search for others."

Noire nodded.

"Yeah. But I think we should try to group together and fight, since we have the numbers. There'll be two of us in each sector, but we can't communicate and might friendly fire each other, even though it's not technically friendly fire..."

"Our main enemy is GRIMA," Lucina reminded them. "It's great if we win and all, but if we don't get any leads on him, Mother will..."

"I know," Morgan said. "I haven't forgotten. But GRIMA's likely going to be our most prominent enemy. If he manages to kill even half of the people in this tournament and take their accounts, that'll be more than enough for him."

"If that's the case, shouldn't we go out and kill them before GRIMA can get to them?" Kjelle suggested.

"That's a good idea!" Cynthia chimed in. "If we take them out, then they can go to the viewing area or log out safely!"

"It's settled, then," Morgan said. "We'll have to kill the other teams... If GRIMA doesn't kill them first."

"Try to group up, if you can," Noire added. "It'll help our chances of securing kills."

They all smiled as they departed and went their separate ways, heading towards the spawn chambers.

"Yui?" Nah asked, as they waited. "Is something wrong? You seem awfully quiet."

"Hm? No, I'm fine," Yui assured her with a small smile. "Just thinking, is all."

"Nervous?" The manakete proposed. "I didn't really think of you as the type who gets nervous, though."

"Well... I guess that could be it."

"Yeah, it must be."

Just then, the announcer's voice came through the speakers again.

"Attention, participants! You will be spawning in 10... 9... 8..."

"Yui, good luck," Morgan placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You too," Yui replied cheerfully.

"7... 6... 5... 4..."

"We can do this. I know we can," he smiled.

She returned it gladly.

"Yeah!"

"3... 2... 1."

* * *

Author's Note: You might be thinking, "Why did she upload two chapters?" Well, I go more into detail about that in next chapter's A/N. But, I'd really like to see your initial reactions to this chapter and see what you think before reading the next one. :)


	23. Part 2- Chapter 7

Noire spawned in a building, and found she couldn't move her body.

"Don't worry, everyone, your avatars are simply frozen for the remainder of this message. I would like to remind you to please follow the rules of conduct and policies in the following battle, and may the best team win!"

Her body un-froze, and she could move again. She checked her surroundings to see that she was in some kind of abandoned town.

"Can anyone hear me?"

"I hear you." Morgan replied. She earned the same response from Owain, Kjelle, Severa, and Yui.

"Alright, I'm-" suddenly there was a gunshot and Noire evaded the second one narrowly, rushing into the nearest house and darting up the stairs and quickly planting satchel charges into pots on either side of the stairway. He had two revolvers, similar to Cynthia, so his range wasn't too good. However, he had an advantage against Noire, who was a sniper, and in this case, cornered. She knew he would follow her up, and he did just that. After he began to go up the stairs, she detonated them, leaving his battered avatar on the ground. He wasn't dead, so she shot him with her secondary weapon to make sure, and his avatar disappeared.

"Okay, that's one person down," she thought.

"Hello?" The sniper whispered quietly as she made her way towards another building carefully.

"What happened?" Severa asked. "Your voice channel got cut off. Were you in a fight?"

"Yeah," she responded."I won, so that's one down."

"Already? Wow, you're amazing," Yui said.

"Thanks... But right now we should focus on taking out the other teams."

"Right."

Lucina, being the lucky person she was, got to spawn in an open field, of all places. She grumbled mentally and began making her way to the edge of the sector, her guard up as sharp as ever. After about ten minutes, she found a small apartment complex that she decided to hide in for the time being before the thirty minute mark. After that, she could locate the others and they could group up.

Stepping into the garage area, she walked through the doorway to realize there was a gun pointed at her chest.

"Lucy!" Morgan lowered his weapon and gestured for her to follow him. "I didn't think we'd find each other this quick! Not that I'm complaining, though."

"Heh," Lucina smirked. "Are we staying here for now?"

"Yeah," he responded. "After thirty minutes we'll all be able to meet, and since you and I are here we can exchange information from our teams."

He turned his mic on.

"Guys, I'm with Lucina. I'm pretty sure we spawned in the same sector," he glanced over to his sister. "Right?"

Lucina nodded.

"Speaking of which, I should inform my team as well."

"Everyone, I'm currently with Morgan. This will make it easier for our teams to communicate."

"Really? That's great," Nah said. "We've got about fifteen minutes left until the satellite signal. Are we going offensive or defensive?"

"I think defensive would be better for now. Do you think so, Morgan?"

"Yeah, that would be the best course of action, I think," he replied before relaying the message to his team. They all agreed to not take any aggressive action for the moment.

Soon the satellite radar scan collected their locations, which they checked immediately. Lucina and Morgan were already together, obviously. Yui and Yarne were in the sector to their right, with Gerome and Kjelle in the one to their left. In the sector directly in front of the sector the siblings were in, Severa and Brady had spawned. In between those two and Yui and Yarne were Noire and Nah. The sector between Gerome and Kjelle and Severa and Brady, finally, held Owain and Cynthia.

"Alright, how about me, Lucina, Yui, Yarne, Gerome, and Kjelle meet up in our sector where we are right now? We'll guard the area while you guys make your way here," Morgan said as Lucina told her team as well. They all agreed and began to do so, while the other three teams decided to gather in Severa and Brady's sector.

Yui silently began her trip to the next sector. She had been spawned near the other side of the sector that was further away, so it would take her longer to get there than Yarne. Even so, she was determined to do anything it took to make sure their family stayed together.

The first fifteen minutes passed without incident, but around that time she heard a gunshot and dodged it with a backbend. Judging from the trajectory, the shooter was probably thirty feet away or so. Gun in one hand and an undrawn energy sword in the other, she had no choice but to fight back. She spotted the shooter in a bush near the edge of the forest surrounding the city.

"Morgan! I'm engaging," she told him. "I might be a little late."

"Alright. Take care, Yui," he responded.

"I will."

He shot at her, but she sliced through the bullets with her sword and shot back at him.

"Wha-?" The man stuttered in shock and frantically pulled out his knife in one hand and his pistol in the other. It was too late, however, as his shots were easily dodged and Yui made a clean stab, finishing him off.

His avatar shattered as she stood back up, sighing as she walked towards the outskirts of the city. She turned her mic on.

"Mo-"

A sharp pain filled her abdomen as she felt a knife being thrusted into her back. She could only gasp as she was kicked to the ground, virtual blood spilling onto the concrete ground. She was kicked again so that her back was on the ground, as energy shackles were fired onto her ankles and wrists, locking her into place. The girl struggled to break free, but it was futile.

"Yui?! Yui! What's wrong?!" Morgan asked. "Answer me!"

"M-Mor.. Ga-"

She was shot in the leg by an unseen gun, her scream ringing through the sector. Another energy shackle was shot at her mouth, bruising her cheeks from the brunt force.

"YUI!" Her brother yelled. "What's going on?"

Suddenly, the invisibility cloaks were removed and everything made sense. The five faces she saw belonged to none other than the missing accounts, and she realized she was about to die at the hands of GRIMA.

"Now, dear," the most prominent one said, a woman with cold blue eyes and olive green hair. "We're going to have some fun before taking your account, okay?"

It was hardly a question.

"You four, get lost," GRIMA commanded the other avatars as they cloaked themselves and departed.

"Hmm, where to start," she began to say before snapping, a feigned look of recognition flickering onto her face. "Oh, that's right! Aren't you that little girl that everyone knows is a cheater? If only they knew the truth, huh?"

GRIMA began tapping her fingers on her chin in thought.

"You know what would be really embarrassing?" She snickered. "If I tore off those clothes of yours! It would be a real show, that's for sure. You'd have to live with the shame for the rest of your life!"

Yui's eyes began to tear up.

"No, please, no..." She thought hopelessly.

A sinister smile crept its way onto GRIMA's face as she squatted down next to the girl, turning her chin with her hand and forcing their eyes to meet.

"But do you know what's even more shameful to live with?" She taunted icily. "Knowing it's all your fault that your dear brother is dead. What was his name, again? Hmm... Oh, yes, it was Hiro, wasn't it? You stole his life away. All the possible futures he could have lived, you took away from him. All those happy memories he could have made? Vanished to nothingness. And now he's gone forever."

A knot twisted in Yui's stomach. She felt like she was about to die, the guilt and sorrow resurfacing once more. How he faded away before his eyes, and how she could do nothing about it.

"Yes, it hurts, doesn't it?" GRIMA pried. Rubbing salt in the wound was an understatement. She cut the wound open fresh again and dumped the whole container of salt in. "You know, I wonder what it would be like if I made you re-watch those horrible memories over and over again... Yes, that's perfect!"

Laughing triumphantly as she stood up, she shot Yui's other leg out of boredom, the young girl's screams muffled against the tight shackle.

"Well, it's been nice chatting with you," GRIMA said, leveling her gun straight at Yui's forehead. "I'd hate to ruin that pretty little face of yours, but it'd be a lot more fun if I did."

She laughed, a sound that sounded more like hissing.

"Oh, and did I forget to mention that you'll be my new host, just as your mother was to be?" She added.

"No!" Yui thought frantically. It felt like the whole world was turning upside down.

"That's right," GRIMA chuckled. "You'll be essentially dead, your soul simply a figment of the past as your body remains a mere shell. But you will be partially conscious, I suppose. Tell you what, then? I'll let you re-live the pain of your brother's death over and over again, forever! That way your pain will never go away!"

Yui screamed against the shackle, but only succeeded in making muffled noises.

"Goodbye," GRIMA smiled coldly.

Closing her eyes, Yui waited for her inevitable death, but was surprised to hear GRIMA cry out in pain as the sound of a gunshot rang throughout the air.

"Why, you...!" The AI bled profusely she was grabbed by the throat by a person Yui couldn't see because of the angle she was at, but she could see GRIMA's shocked face as she was choked, her hands clawing at the ones around her neck.

"You're the one saying goodbye, GRIMA," a male voice told her as her avatar suddenly glitched out and her skin cracked like glass, her eyes turning white as she screamed, cursing as she shattered into tiny pieces, dissolving into the air.

Immediately after she was gone, the man rushed over to help Yui. He freed her from her shackles and managed to get her to drink an elixir ration. Exhausted, she didn't even get a chance to look at him before she fell unconscious. Scooping her up in his arms, he draped an invisibility cloak of his own over both of them before teleporting away.

"Morgan!" Yarne exclaimed through the voice channel. "He took Yui!"

"Who did?!" The tactician demanded.

"A weird guy in some cloak with a hood and a mask on his face! I went to help her out, but when I got there, he was already gone!"

"A cloak with a hood and a mask on his face?" Morgan asked.

"Yeah!" the taguel confirmed, and he described the man's clothing to a tee.

"What?" Lucina felt like a rug had been pulled from underneath her. "No way, that's..."

Her stomach dropped.

"Eiyuu."

* * *

Author's Note:And scene! Now, first of all, I'm sure you've all noticed that I uploaded two chapters instead of one, and this is because I wanted to get the story moving a little faster since it was going a bit slow, I think. Depending on which chapters and which part in they story I'm at, I might upload one or two. If I upload two, then I'll just add a really short note at the end. Also, I'd appreciate it if you'd leave a comment on both chapters, if you'd like, but just one would be great. Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed, and make sure you stay tuned for the next chapter(s)!


	24. Part 2- Chapter 8

Review Replies:

SakuraDreamerz: Thank you, that's great! Also, I'm going to meet the English voice actor of Krista Lenz from AoT if you like that show, we could do a little exchange (although imo Bryce Papenbrook is just amazing)!

ilovefonandalaude- You'll have to see! *winks*

MewFanGirl- Oh, trust me, you'll find out... Eventually. xD

NotSoGreatGamerGirl- ... And hit in the face, shot in both legs, and mentally tortured, to be precise. But yes, please do enjoy this chapter, lol.

GuestWithIdeas- Decided to add that little bit into the beginning to tie in with what I already had going on. Thanks for the suggestion! It really added some character to this chapter, I feel.

* * *

Earlier that day

Robin looked to the backseat to see little Lucina sitting in her baby seat next to Yui, who gave her milk from her favorite pink bottle. They drove along the snowy road, little Lucina sitting between her older self and Yui while Morgan took a nap in the back.

"Lucina, could you please clean up Lu- I mean, your little self's face?" Her mother tiredly smiled.

"Of course," the young woman took a handkerchief and wiped the growing baby's face, cleaning the milk dripping out of her mouth.

"Thank you," the Grandmaster sighed in relief.

"It's no problem, Mother."

"You're too kind, Lucina..."

Soon they arrived to their destination.

"I'll only be a few minutes," Robin said, unbuckling her seat.

"You don't want me to help or go with you?" Chrom offered.

"No, I'll be fine."

Robin scooped little Lucina out of her seat after grabbing a duffel from the back and rang the doorbell of the house.

Asuka opened the door with a smile.

"Robin! Oh, and tiny little Lucina!" She beamed.

"Hi, Mom," the tactician greeted, giving her mother a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks for taking care of Lucina while we're out."

"It's no problem. I'm sure Jay will enjoy watching after her as well."

"Jay's here?" Robin asked in surprise.

"That's right," her sister smiled, walking out from behind the wall. Her face was healing, but it would still definitely leave scars. Robin winced when she thought of how she obtained those... From Jin. Just the mere thought of him made her sick.

"Don't worry, I'm fine," Jay told her, reading her expression. "I decided to move in here and spend some time with Mom, and take care of her."

"Really? That's great!" Her twin smiled.

"It is," Asuka agreed. "And I hate to rush you, dear, but you're going to be late if you stay any longer, aren't you?"

"That's right," Robin sighed before leaning down to Lucina.

"Mommy's going for now, okay? But don't worry, your Auntie and Grandma will take good care of you," she told her. "I love you, Lucina, my little treasure..."

"M-Ma... Ma!" Lucina suddenly blurted with a giggle.

Robin smiled, overfilled with joy at hearing her say that for the first time.

"It's amazing, isn't it?" Asuka asked.

"Y-Yeah," the tactician replied, trying to keep her tears at bay. "It really is..."

Soon after Robin had left, Jay held Lucina as Asuka closed the door.

"It must be nice," The dark-haired woman commented.

"It is," her mother agreed. "You're not going to have any?"

"Me? I really don't know," Jay replied passively. "I'll just have to wait and see."

"Hm," Asuka nodded. She thought back to the conversation they had when Jay first arrived at her house.

"Y-You're..." Asuka stood at the door, her eyes wide. "... Jay."

"Yes," the woman agreed. "I am."

"I-I- You..." She clamped a hand over her mouth, trying to restrain her tears unsuccessfully.

"You're Asuka, correct?" Jay asked somewhat monotonously.

"I-I am," she sobbed. "I know... I know how you must be feeling right now towards me..."

"No, you don't, Asuka," suddenly her voice was filled with anger. "You don't know! How could you possibly know, when you're the one who left me with my evil father!"

Asuka simply stood there, crying silently.

"I deserve this," she told herself. "I abandoned her."

"Why?! Why did you do it?!" Jay's eyes filled with tears, her voice cracking as it rose. "How could you? Tell me!"

"J-Jay, I know I have no right to call you my daughter after I left you like I did," Asuka choked. "I-I'm sorry."

Jay cried even more.

"I-I hated you," she admitted. "I h-hated you for leaving me... I just wanted... My mommy... T-That's- That's all I ever..."

Asuka rushed forward and embraced Jay, the both of them sobbing uncontrollably. They knelt on the ground, hugging each other as Asuka stroked Jay's hair.

"I-I forgive you, Mom," Jay told her.

"You're sure you want to call me that?" Asuka wiped her eyes.

"Yeah... I just need you to promise me one thing."

"What is it?"

"Don't ever abandon me like that again," Jay buried her face in the crook of her mother's neck. "It was awful... Growing up with him..."

"I'm so sorry," her mother sobbed. "I had to spend all those years with the guilt... That I had left my daughter behind with a madman... I promise to never do that again."

"Thank you," Jay pulled away from the hug and looked her mother in the face. "I've been wanting to tell you since I can remember... I love you, Mom."

"I love you, too," Asuka kissed her daughter's cheek. "... My darling daughter."

If their family had learned anything that day, it was that a family was woven together not by blood and flesh, but by unconditional love.

* * *

Current events

"How could he just take her like that?" Lucina buried her face in her hands. Yarne had left to go look for her, and the mission changed to searching for Yui.

"I don't know," Morgan mumbled. "How could someone possibly take her out?"

Suddenly they heard what sounded like someone landing softly on the dirty wooden floor.

"Who's there?" They drew their guns.

"Calm down," the voice said, before his invisibility cloak was removed. "I'm here to warn you."

"Yui!" Lucina called out, seeing the girl asleep in his arms.

"I have no evil intentions," he assured her, allowing Lucina to take Yui. Her injuries were lessening, and her HP was near full.

"Eiyuu is your name, right?" She narrowed her eyes at him. "What do you want with us?"

"You should have heeded Komadori's warning," he told them bluntly. "Your lives in the real world are in danger."

"What do you mean?" Morgan asked.

Eiyuu shook his head.

"As for the specifics, I do not know. But what I can tell you truthfully and wholeheartedly is that the three of you as well as your mother and father will bring the end of the world."

"End of the world...?!" Lucina gasped. "That's impossible! What proof do you have?"

He turned his palms up.

"Komadori is the one with answers, not me. But enough chat. You have to log out right now. Trust me."

"Why should we? Who are you?" Morgan's gun pointed straight at his chest.

"You don't understand!" He shouted, pounding his fist on the wall. "None of that matters! If you wish to avoid all the pain and suffering your bleak future holds, you have to listen to me! Your mother and father, especially, will be made to live horrible lives!"

Suddenly, they heard it. The screaming, the shouting, loud banging and clashing noises.

"You hear it too, Lucina...?"

"Y-Yes..."

"I'm too late," Eiyuu looked down.

"What?" Lucina demanded. "What do you mean?"

"The reason she told you to stay home was because she knew you would be attacked at the hospital during the tournament!" He responded angrily.

"N-No," Morgan backed up. "How..."

"This isn't the end!" Eiyuu insisted, before his avatar started to fade from the bottom up. "You have to fight back! Don't forget who you are!"

At that instant, their eyes widened and closed suddenly, the "disconnection" sign filling the screen as Eiyuu's disappearing form stood before them.

The words rang in Lucina's head over and over again.

"- the three of you as well as your mother and father...

Will bring the end of the world."

"The... End...?" She thought as everything faded to black.

* * *

(A/N) First chapter of the two I'm uploading! Also, just a quick warning before you move on to the next chapter, everything will seem incoherent and unrelated in every way to the current story, but please just bear with it until the pieces fall together. I'm going to be introducing the next portion of the story, and with it many many new characters and such. :)


	25. Part 2- Chapter 9

Iras ran home, lunch-bag in hand, crying loudly as her little feet carried her as fast as she could go as she ran home, stumbling over a few rocks on the way.

The six year old girl had been picked on at school by some of the other girls who made fun of her. Waiting what seemed like an eternity, she left the school the first second she got, not wanting to linger there any longer. All she wanted was to go home and cry to her mother about it.

All of a sudden, a few men walking by glare at her for a moment. She walked by them quickly. Nothing happened for a few seconds before she felt hands gripping her tiny arms rougly.

"M-Mommy! Daddy!" She managed to scream as they fastened the gag around her face.

"Your mommy and daddy ain't gonna help you," one of them men told her. "They're the ones who sold ya to us for one o' these."

He gestured to a pouch of gold in his hand and put it away in his pocket.

"No... Mommy and Daddy would never do that!" She thought fiercely.

The girl struggled against them, kicking and making as much noise as possible.

"Shut up, you little prick!"

All she felt was a forceful punch to the back of her head before she fell to the ground face-first, knocking her out.

* * *

She woke up in a room, her hands tied behind her back. From the looks of it, she was on top of a bed.

Suddenly a man with sunken eyes and a crazy grin walked into the room, staring at her eagerly.

"Hey, sweetie," he told her, his voice creepy and cold. "We're going to have some fun..."

Her mouth was untied and she screamed as he approached her.

"No! Go away! I don't want to!" The young girl scrambled away from him.

He grabbed her by the shoulders and pinned her down, causing her to scream again.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" She yelled furiously, her tears falling as she suddenly blacked out, her head dizzy.

Waking up, she found that her hands were unbound and the man in front of her was horribly mutilated, his body crammed into the tiny closet like a rag doll. She gasped and backed away, running down the stairs and leaving the house quickly.

"Where are you? Mommy! Daddy!" Iras thought, tears streaking her pale face as she looked around, seeing nothing but a quiet town.

She spent the next two years searching, looking for them. Along the way, she was stopped on the street by an old man.

"Wait a moment, please, Miss," he told her with a smile.

"W-What do you want?" She asked.

He looked around to see if there was anyone listening or watching them before speaking.

"I sense a powerful magic radiating from your body," he told her quietly. "It's very dangerous, and deadly. If left uncontrolled, it could be massively destructive."

"Magic?" Iras' brow furrowed. "I don't know any magic."

"No, child," he shook his head. "This magic is extremely rare. It's not learned, it's passed down genetically through the generations. Only a select few could ever wield it."

"... You said it was dangerous," the girl said somewhat slowly.

"Yes, treacherously so," he nodded. "Child, you must promise me to never lose control of your emotions. The moment you do, chaos will follow."

"... I was born with magic in me?" She looked at her hand curiously, as if for the first time.

"Yes. You cannot use it at will, can you?"

She shook her head.

"I see," he said. "Now, I must leave. However, please, heed my warning and do not lose control, no matter what. Do you understand?"

She nodded.

"Good," he gave a small smile. "Farewell, Iras."

He vanished in the blink of an eye.

"How did he know my name?" She wondered.

* * *

It was rough, living on the streets. No food, no clothes but the ones on her back, and no parents to love and care for her. Living life was painful, but all she knew was that she wanted to see her parents again. She often imagined and dreamed of what it would be like coming home; her parents running to her saying, they missed her, how they loved her and waited and searched for her.

But it was nothing like that.

It was cold, and windy. She was battered and tired, not even capable of standing properly. But as soon as her house came into view, it felt as if those two years were all worth it. All that time, with nothing to eat but scraps, no one to comfort her but her shadow, nowhere to go but home.

Her numb feet scrambled to carry her to the window that looked into her family's living room. It was just as she remembered, except they had added an extra couch.

Suddenly, two girls, one about her age and the other younger by about a year or two, bustled into the room with toys. Her eyes widened. Those were her old toys. Her favorites, the ones she loved the most. They were being played with and tossed around by other children.

Then, her parents walked in the room with plates of food, smiles on their faces.

They were happy.

Happy she was gone.

Happy because they had replaced her.

Happy because now they had these two adopted children.

They were smiling, laughing, cheerful and full of joy.

And it made her sick.

She felt it all rising up in her, the anger, sorrow, betrayal. It manifested itself in her physical body. The air around her swirled, the ground beneath her shifted. The window where she was standing shattered, sending her parents and those damned kids of theirs into a panic. They couldn't see her because of the height of the window, but she could see them. She enjoyed their pained expressions, full of fear and trauma.

But it wasn't enough.

Widening her eye, she commanded the delicate flame on the candle multiply in size until the table was burning. Her parents rushed to put it out, but she made it grow in size, burning their skin. They fell on the ground, screaming for the children to get out.

Get out?

No. She wouldn't let them.

She willed the house's time to flash forward, for it to wither away. It did just that, the nails in the ceiling quickly rusting as the heavy ceiling fell apart. Lifting her arms and putting her hand atop the the other she made a 'pushing down' motion and the top of the house crumbled and fell completely as the flames consumed all that was left.

The burning, smoking sight in front of her made her happy. If they were going to smile, then she was too.

She had lost control.

And it felt good.

If this was a taste of what she could do, to imagine the possibilities if she could only tame it...

Spinning on her heel as the wreckage burned, she then decided that she would hone her magic, to grow more powerful, to destroy anything and everything that impeded her path.

* * *

Author's Note: I know, I know, you're probably thinking that this makes no sense. But I'm going to keep this short and sweet: Please don't get bored just yet. Well, that's all for this time, and I'll try to update ASAP so as to not keep you all in the dark. Thank you all for reading and please please leave feedback if you enjoyed. Stay tuned for the next chapter!


	26. Part 2- Chapter 10

Review Responses:

SakuraDreamerz: Yeah, sure thing! Ahhh I'm so excited!

Guest- Thank you! As for the magic part, everything will fall together in time, hehe.

* * *

"For the last time, Ren," his father scolded him.

"No! I know I do," the child exclaimed. "I know they exist!"

Ren's mother sighed lightly and gestured for her husband to join her in the next room.

"There's something wrong with him," she said worriedly. "He's delusional."

"He's an extremely smart young child, but this... This is just madness."

Meanwhile, Ren sat on his bed, a frown on his face. He exasperatedly slumped down on his bed, sighing.

He lived a happy life. His parents loved him, and he loved them as well. He had friends in his class at school, and they did everything together. Drawing, painting, playing, whatever kids were expected to do. He was also very clever and smart, when he needed to be. But for the most part, he was largely playful and at times, immature.

Suddenly his parents walked into his room together.

"Son, we have to... Talk." His mother said.

"About what?"

"These silly delusions of yours. We're afraid there might be..."

"Might be what?"

"Something the matter with you."

Ren's brow furrowed.

"There's nothing wrong with me! I'm normal!" He protested.

"Honey, we just need to... Get you checked."

"Checked?"

His father nodded.

"No! I don't want to! There's nothing wrong with me!"

"Son, it's for your own good."

"NO! I WON'T GO!"

* * *

His head was dizzy as he woke up. It felt like the world had been turned upside down.

"Hey!" A voice called out to him. "Are you awake? Answer me!"

He opened his eyes tiredly to see that he was buried under rubble. He smelled dirt and could feel himself breathing in dust. He tried to move his legs, but he felt a searing pain shoot all the way up to his chest when he did.

"W-Wha-" he tried to say, his voice raspy.

"Stay calm. We're going to get you out of here," the same voice told him.

"Where... Where's my mom and dad...?" The boy breathed out.

"... I'm sorry," was the only response he got.

"What do you... Mean...?"

"... They're gone."

"G-gone...?" He gasped before his vision began to darken. "N-No..."

* * *

He woke up again in a dark room, a thick blanket over his small body. He tried to get up, but he felt the same pain in his legs he felt before, yelping at the sharp pain.

"Don't move. A healer's coming to fix up your legs."

He looked over to his right to see a man with his arms folded, sitting in a chair leaning against the opposite wall. It was the same voice he had heard before.

"... What happened to my parents?" Ren looked down, clenching the sheets with his fists.

"They were killed," the man explained bluntly yet softly. "By the kingdom's personal task force. The Royal Army."

He shook his head.

"Or, no. Should I say Erik and his new lieutenant? Either way, they're a force to be reckoned with. His second-in-command is a dangerous threat. To think that they would recruit someone as strong as that... Never mind."

"W-Why would they do th-that?" Ren sobbed, tears falling onto his blanket.

"Because they wanted to get rid of us," his companion informed him. "They know that we're the only threat against their damned corrupt kingdom... That hospital also treated our wounded soldiers. They must have caught wind of it and destroyed the place. But by the time I got there, it was too late."

"S-So my mom and dad... They were k-killed by the kingdom's a-army...?"

"Yes."

The man stood up and walked up to his bedside. Ren could see his light brown hair and tree bark-brown eyes, as well as a scar on his right cheek.

"Now, I'd like to ask for your help," he began to say.

"My... Help?"

"That's right... I'd like you to join the rebel forces. We can avenge your parents together," he proposed.

"A-Avenge them?"

The man nodded.

"... I'll do it," Ren told him with absolute firmness. "I'll kill every single one of them."

* * *

For a little girl, she was the scariest person anyone had ever met.

"N-No! Stop! Please! Take it! J-Just don't-"

"Shut up."

A cloth wrapped itself around his mouth, gagging him.

"I haven't had a decent meal in a week, you buffoon. Now, remember that even if you can't see me, I'll be watching you. I'll be listening. And if you ever dare tell anyone about this," with a motion of her hand the cloth slid down to his neck, forming a noose. "There'll be more blood to clean up then we all need."

The man nodded fearfully, tears running down his cheeks.

"Hm? I don't understand you."

"Y-Yes, ma'am..."

"Good. Now leave. And remember my warning."

He quickly scurried away as she bent down to pick up the bag of groceries he had been carrying. Her ambush had gone just as planned. Now she'd have enough food to journey to Leafna. It turned out the Royal City was as bland as water when it came to dark magic. Useless.

She spun around to leave, before seeing a hooded figure at the other end of the alley. How had she not picked up on him?!

"Who are you?" The young girl demanded fiercely.

"The question is, who are you?" He shot back. His voice was deep and calm, yet had a slight edge of mockery.

"I'm the girl who's going to tear you apart," Iras snarled, raising her hand in front of her. "You're messing with the wrong person right now."

"I believe you should be saying that to yourself."

"Urgh!" In her anger, she eroded the building next to him and forced the bricks to fling towards him. "Die!"

He was buried in the blocks of concrete, Iras left to see if he had gone down as easily as he appeared to.

Suddenly, the bricks flew off of him and towards the young girl. She had barely enough time to shield herself before the swarm of blocks pelted her.

She fell to the ground with apained grunt, before sweeping the bricks away from herself with her magic and standing up. "This isn't over!"

"I'm afraid it is," his voice said from behind her.

Unexpectedly, he was gone in the blink of an eye and she felt something like a solid wave push her from behind, sending her flying. She tumbled on the ground as she landed, her whole body aching. The girl's breathing was shallow and airy, her lungs feeling like they were burning up. The man walked towards her, and she closed her eyes, waiting for the inevitable.

After a few seconds, nothing happened. She waited a few more seconds before opening her eyes. He had crouched down next to her.

Pulling down his hood, his cool blue eyes met hers.

"Join me," he stated bluntly, but softly.

"Join... You?" Iras sputtered.

"That's right," he nodded. "You're strong. Much stronger than even I expected. If you allow me to train you, you could use that strength to help others."

"Help others...?" She couldn't imagine those two words going together. "No... Everyone... Hates me... Even if I tried to h-help, they'd still... Hate me... There's no... Point..."

"It doesn't matter if they hate you or not," he told her. "You shouldn't look for the approval of others to base your actions on. Do what produces peace, and justice. Given your power, you could help forge a nation like that."

"Forge... A nation?"

"Yes. I'm the captain of the Royal Army. My name is Erik. If you come with me, we can take the kingdom to new heights. You don't have to live like this anymore. Always fending for yourself... Living off the scraps... I know what it's like. And nobody deserves to live like that."

"Not even... Me?"

"Not even you."

She closed her eyes for a few moments, before meeting her companion's.

"... I'll join you, Erik," she said.

He nodded, offering her a hand, she took it steadily and rose up with some difficulty.

"I'll adopt you as my daughter," Erik told her with a small smile. "You'll stay with me, from now on. I'll make sure to take good care of you."

"Your daughter?"

"Yes," he responded, before hesitating. "... Sorry. I went a little too rough during that fight. But don't worry. I can get us to the palace quickly, and you can get rested there, alright?"

"Alright..." She agreed.

And from that moment on, her life had taken another turn. For the better or worse, is the question.


	27. Part 2- Chapter 11

Iras remained silent as she ate her lunch with Erik.

"What's wrong? Did something happen?" He asked, meeting her eyes.

"..." She closed her eyes, thinking of how to let her thoughts manifest themselves. "... Everyone's scared of me. Surely you've noticed."

He did.

The other trainees sat away from them, clumping together so they could be as far away from Iras as possible.

"... I heard them calling me a monster," she continued. "They didn't want to even talk to me."

Erik shook his head.

"Don't mind them. They're just... Intimidated. Some of them have been training here longer than you, but you rival even the strongest of them."

"I didn't know I was that strong..."

"You are. But I'd like to suggest that perhaps you should focus on your non-magical skills for now. Although magic will likely be your primary weapon, it would be of use to you if you learned a secondary means of defense."

"Oh. I see," she responded. "... Alright, then. It's settled."

"I'll train you personally," he informed her. "But you'll eventually have to spar with the other trainees. That's the only way you can pass."

Iras nodded, taking a sip from her cup of water. She quickly glanced at a person sitting at the nearest table and was about to smile when he turned away quickly. Her expression fell and it felt like someone had shoved a knife in her heart.

* * *

When she had first started living with Erik, she had been given a home-cooked meal to fill her up. Months of under-eating had caused her to become skinny and bony, unhealthy for a child her age.

"This is... For me?" She asked, staring at the plate of food curiously.

"Who else would it be for?" Erik asked with a smile, placing his on the other side of the table. "You haven't eaten well, have you? Go ahead. You must be really hungry."

"I..." Iras tried to say, but found that there were tears in her eyes. Tears? She hadn't shed those for a while.

"What's wrong?" her stepdad asked. Although by law he was her father, she thought of him as an older brother, and he thought of her a little sister. After all, he wasn't exactly old enough to be her father.

"I-I'm just..." she sniffled. "I'm happy... I almost forgot w-what it was like..."

"...To be happy, you mean?"

"Y-Yeah," the girl nodded.

"Don't worry, as long as you're with me, I'll do anything to make sure you're safe and happy," he told her assuringly. "Because from now on, I want you to get used to being happy, alright?"

"O-Okay..." she smiled, wiping her tears away. "Thank you so much... I never thought I could live like this again..."

* * *

"Hey... You're Erik's daughter, right?"

Iras looked up from her book as she sat outside, waiting for Erik to come so they could start their training session.

"That's correct," she replied.

There were five boys about seventeen to nineteen leering over her. Despite being much younger than them, it was no secret that she was a powerful mage.

"I hear you use magic," another one said with a mocking tone she easily picked up on.

"I do."

"Why don't you let us see it?"

She shook her head.

"No. I only use my magic when I need to."

"Aww, what, did your daddy tell you to do that? It's no secret you're his favorite," one of them sneered.

"He did. And I don't have time to waste here," she stood up to leave but found that there were hands around her neck, and she was thrown down, her skull hitting the ground painfully. Her face was brutally punched multiple times, each strike knowing no boundaries. Somewhere along the line she felt thick red blood begin to pour out of her nose, rolling down her chin onto her neck.

"Well? You're not gonna fight back? If you don't, we'll beat you up until you're nothing but a bloody pulp."

"No... I don't want to..." She thought.

Suddenly she felt a yanking at her neck and found that the necklace that Erik had given her on her birthday a few months ago was being held by the boy above her.

"Did your stupid daddy give this to you? What a pretty little necklace... Won't be so pretty once I break it!"

"NO!" Iras screamed.

Suddenly the teenage boy was pushed back away from her, as well the other four.

"This magic..." She thought.

"Her 'stupid daddy' is about to kick your sorry asses," Erik spat at them. "Unless you get the hell away from here and never let me see your faces again."

"E-Erik! We d-didn't mean t-"

"Shut up and leave before I lose my patience."

They complied speedily, running off in fear as Erik worriedly knelt down next to Iras, who stared up at the sky tiredly.

"... I'm sorry," he told her.

She shook her head lightly, but found that nearly each side of her head and/or face was horribly bruised.

"It's not your fault, Erik... It's mine. No matter where I go, no matter what I do... Everyone hates me. They treat me like a monster..." She paused to smile. "But you're the only one who's ever treated me any differently... You showed me love, and kindness, and taught me how to overcome hatred and bitterness... So it's not your fault at all. I didn't want to hit them back because I didn't want to hurt them..."

"No," he interjected. "Iras, from now on I want you to promise me that you'll always defend yourself. That you won't let anyone push you around anymore. I'd sooner stab myself than let you get beaten up by some rotten scum."

"I..."

Could she really bring herself to do it? After all those years of hurting other people, she never wanted to go back to the way she was before... But this was Erik. He was the smartest and most caring person she had ever known. If he wanted her to defend herself, then that was probably the smartest choice.

"... I promise."

The young captain allowed himself a small smile before he scooped her up in his arms.

"That's good. Thank you..." He told her before switching topics. "Now I'm going to take you to the infirmary to get healed up. We're skipping training today."

"Skip?" She asked weakly. She had never skipped training before.

"Yes," he confirmed. "You're clearly in no shape to fight at the moment. You'll have to train twice as hard tomorrow."

"Yeah!" She beamed.

* * *

Author's Note: And scene! Sorry I updated late, I got really busy. But also, please note that Ren's scene takes place after these events, but I wanted to add it to set the stage a bit. Also, FE14 HYPE I'M SO EXCITED YOU KNOW WHAT I'M GONNA BUY A JAPANESE DS AND GAME EVEN THO I STILL CAN'T READ FLUENTLY BUT IT'S WORTH IT. *sighs* Anyways, I hope you enjoyed! Please leave feedback if you did, and stay tuned for the next chapter(s)!


	28. Continue?

A/N: Hey guys! After a year of not updating this story, I've started to gain interest in it again. How are you guys doing? I assume most of you are playing Fates, lol.

Anyways!

I was wondering if any of you would be interested if I did decide to continue this story. I love writing for my readers and making your day with a new chapter. If you would like me to continue, please let me know and I'll take your opinions into consideration!

Stay cool, readers :)

\- Mochi


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